Marshmallows and Garbage
by robin'schick
Summary: McGee wants Abby Back. Though it won't be easy. What does her disappearance have to do with two petty officers found with their hearts cut out? Will McGee find her and tell her in time or will he be too late? MCABBY, slight TIVA.
1. Friday Evening Plans

I don't own NCIS, though I wish I owned McGee...sigh

Chapter One

Special Agent Timothy McGee watched as the tired computer screen that he had been steadily typing at all day, powered down. He watched as his teammates, Tony and Ziva, headed for the elevator, not wanting to risk being told the stay late because some petty officer couldn't wait to die until Monday. He watched as his boss, Gibbs, downed another cup of straight black coffee, probably one of the many he had drank that day, but certainly not his last. He watched as his favorite forensics scientist, Abby, exited the elevator as his co workers, who he had a feeling were more than that, stepped in. What he would have given to see what happened when those doors closed, not because he considered himself a perv, that was Tony's department, but just for the chance to have some blackmail on Tony, just once to tell Gibbs about them breaking rule 12, he was not a tattletale but it would be nice to have some leverage. He wouldn't get to see, he had more important things on his mind. He was going to try and win Abby back, to prove that she was the only one for him and that he had changed for her, that he was ready for her, ready for her like he wasn't ready before.

"Hey McWeekend!" Tony called as he held the elevator doors open with a well placed palm, well it wasn't the worst name he could give him, "Ziva and I are going bar hopping, wanna come?" Why was he asking McGee? Everyone knew, probably even Gibbs, that all Tony wanted to do was Ziva. Tim didn't know. He just hoped Abby wasn't in the mood for the bar scene, then again when was she not? Tony went on when McGee didn't answer right away "Abby?" he asked.

_**If you were going to lie, be thorough.**_Another one of Gibbs's rules.

_Please say no, Abby! _McGee thought to himself, hopefully not out loud, that would be too embarrassing, and then he'd have to explain in front of everyone. Not on his list of things to do.

"Sorry Tony" Abby responded, staying in front of McGee's desk, her body turned toward him, "I've already got plans" Crap! Was McGee too late too? Did she have a date with someone else? McGee was already down about the unsolved case but now with Abby too?

Tony didn't even wait for her answer, he just let the elevator close without a second thought. No one else minded. Pretty much everyone knew they weren't going bar hopping, even Gibbs wasn't as oblivious as he seemed to be, he just didn't want to be proven wrong but his famous gut, which was always right.

McGee grabbed his coat off of the back of his chair as Abby waited for him. They had begun to take a separate elevator to give Tony and Ziva some privacy. The elevator was where they took to heavy petting during lunch breaks, or at least that was the only plausible explanation why the elevator tended to not work during lunch hour, when Tony and Ziva were nowhere to be found, and a possible reason why Tony's ring tone had been changed to "Desert Rose" by Sting. All McGee knew was that he never wanted to hear that song again, it had been driving him crazy every time Tony got a text, and just the catchy chorus.

Ever since the three of them had returned from Somalia, Tony and Ziva had become closer. Their fights weren't even fights anymore. It was a little depressing to McGee that Ziva had given up so easily to the resident Ladies Man at NCIS, but Tony had yet to lose any body parts, that McGee knew of, so he must've been doing something right. They both seemed happy so he wished them the best, they would be happy, at least until Gibbs decided to do something about it.

That was not McGee's main concern. Step one to winning Abby back? Invite her over to his place to talk. That would be the hardest part, everything after that would be easy, hopefully. Of course nothing was ever as easy as it seemed with Abby. He didn't know what to expect with her sometimes, he liked that, and he was going to put himself out there nonetheless.

The elevator dinged but McGee was still deep in thought. Thinking about what he was going to do and what he wanted to say. Abby noticed that he wasn't waiting with her. She turned and saw him staring off into the distance. "Timothy!" she called, she only called him Timothy when she was either angry or anxious, McGee was unsure which it was at that point, "Are you coming or not?" if he had to guess he'd say she was anxious. He didn't want to keep her waiting if she was either angry or anxious, she would kill him and leave no trace, he had threatened him before, and he knew she could.

"I'll be right there Abs!" McGee responded with a smile, that was the only way he could greet her, with a smile, "See you on Monday boss!" he exclaimed as he ran for the open elevator. Both he and Abby knew that Gibbs would remain at the office for a few more hours so they had the elevator to themselves.

McGee didn't waste anytime in putting his jacket on. He headed straight for the elevator, where Abby waited, her hand on the hold door button, her knees knocking back and forth just slightly, she was anxious but anxious about what? That was the million dollar question. That was the million dollar question that McGee was dying to hear the answer to.

Once McGee was fully in, jacket and all, Abby let her fingers slip off of the button. The doors closed and they were finally alone. Neither of them said a word. They descended a few floors and still nothing, they were almost to the parking garage when Abby flipped that maintenance switch. That was what Gibbs did when he needed a private conversation. Why hadn't McGee thought of that first? That way none of them could escape, they were between floors. She had planned it that way. Now the question was: who would talk first?

McGee decided to take the plunge. "Abby I-" and at the same time "Timothy I-" They had both tried to speak first, what then? McGee was silent so Abby continued.

"Timmy" she began after a few seconds of McGee's silence "We need to talk" Things were going to be ok, those words didn't hurt nearly as much as they had the first time he heard them. Had she perhaps met someone else? The last time she had dated someone else he seemed not to be able to keep his emotions in check, he had snapped at her multiple times. It wouldn't matter if she had met someone else, even if she had met someone else he was still going to tell her how he felt, she had to know!

Did McGee just smile? She definitely didn't remember him smiling the last time she told him that, when they-when _she_ broke his heart. "I absolutely agree" he responded. He was ready to hear what she had to say and she was ready too, though the elevator didn't seem the most optimal place to do so. "How about I meet you at my place and we'll go from there?" he knew it was brazen but he needed her to know, and it was going to be romantic no matter what he had to do to make it so. He would do whatever it took to win her back, just short of murder.

Abby just smiled "Sure thing Timothy" she responded "I'll just pick up somethings from my place and meet you there" Things were going to go her way tonight, even if she had to strong arm McGee into complying. She knew she would if she had to.

McGee couldn't have been more happy. Everything was going his way and hopefully by morning they would be dating again and together again, hopefully for good this time. "Sounds great, Abby. " he answered watching her as she smiled too. She knew, _they _knew that things were about to change for the both of them. The elevator roared to life and McGee found himself humming "Desert Rose" for the billionth time that day, though that time he didn't mind, Abby would be his again.

_**xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special agent Anthony DiNozzo parked his car in front of his apartment. He wasn't surprised to find that Ziva's coupe was already there, he knew she drove like a time bomb, just as explosive as her personality, though he wouldn't dare tell her that. He didn't mind that she was there, she knew where his spare key was and had probably already made herself comfortable on his couch with his big screen TV and one of the Michelob's from the fridge. He didn't mind, it had been a tough week for the two of them.

There had been two petty officers murdered at a strip joint and there hadn't been much time for them to see each other during lunch breaks, they had barely even had those that week. The last time they'd been together to whisper sweet nothings was last Sunday, Tony didn't know about Ziva but he knew he had missed her and he knew exactly what he wanted, and knowing Ziva and her crazy Israeli blood, she'd probably want it too, then again when did she not want that? When did any woman not want that?

Tony reached to unlock the door and found it was unlocked. He was tempted to sneak in and scare her, show her the hazards of leaving the door unlocked, but he knew she could kill him with her little finger, so he refrained, he liked being alive.

He heard the TV as soon as he entered, she was watching something on the discovery channel or the history channel, one of the intellectual channels that Tony's TV rarely ever saw. She probably didn't even know he was there. He didn't even get a chance to set his keys down before he was jumped by an agent previously employed by Mossad, but at that time employed by one NCIS, an agent he was currently seeing romantically against the advice of his boss's rule number 12.

Tony placed his keys on the table that Ziva had him backed up against as her perfect Israeli lips worked his neck with a wild passion. He reached for his gun and his badge and placed them on the table as well, they would be dangerous in the hands of a horny Mossad, well new NCIS agent, and she was already dangerous enough.

"Well hello there Stranger" he whispered as he held her hips around his waist, all she was wearing was one of his button up shirts and satin unders, black satin unders. She wanted it just as bad as he did according to "Unders"law.

"You are late!" She voiced, a slight pout on her lips, those lips that he absolutely loved to kiss, well worth the long six year wait and the constant flow of girls that he had to throw off everywhere he went. She was well worth it.

Tony just laughed, she was so cute when she pouted, something that she never would have done as a Mossad agent. "Well not all of us can-" he paused, _Good Lord!_ Was she not wearing a Bra? "-drive like maniacs" he was lost under her spell.

Ziva just laughed "That, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, is not your gun"

Oh yes it would be so worth the wait!


	2. Preparations and Rewards

I don't own NCIS but I wish I owned McGee... sigh

Chapter Two

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs sat at his desk going over the most recent case file, over what they knew about the murders. Two petty officers, James G. McKernan and Henry M. Lewis were found in a strip club dumpster by a bruised drunken stripper. Upon the Autopsy Ducky found that both had copious amounts of narcotics and cocaine in their systems, that wasn't the strangest part, both were cut up like they had already gone through an autopsy when they were alive and their hearts were torn out. That was the cause of death. There was nothing out of the ordinary in the financial records and the officer's wives knew nothing that would help in the case. Even the forensics were leading nowhere. Essentially the case had gone cold. Gibbs vowed to find that son of a bitch that did the crime by Monday morning at the latest.

An earsplitting noise pulled Gibbs from the file yet again. He expected it from DiNozzo's phone but McGee's? That was just strange. Gibbs had never known McGee to be a ladies man, he barely gave out his desk phone number. Gibbs figured it was important since it was the fourth time it had rang in the hour so he answered it.

"Special Agent McGee's phone" he spoke, slightly annoyed. There was breathing on the other side of the receiver and then a click. The person had hung up. Gibbs hung up and turned back to the file, the phone rang again "McGee's phone" he answered again, but was greeted by a simple click. He kept it off the hook after that and decided to head home, to his basement to work on his latest boat. That was what he needed, to step away from the case to solve it. That and Bourbon.

_**xxx NCIS xxx**_

Forensics Specialist Abigail Sciuto stood on her tippytoes to retrieve the key to McGee's apartment. It was still in the same place it had been when they were dating and reaching for it brought back the memories of their time together. That was what she had wanted to talk to him about. She had realized her mistake form the years earlier and the mistake that every boyfriend after had been and wanted to see if they could make it work again.

The inside of McGee's apartment was relatively tidy for a bachelor's pad. Everything was in it's proper place and nothing was out of order, even though McGee did have his German Sheppard, Jethro, who it turned out was very pleased to have some human company.

"Well hello there Jethro!" Abby cooed as she pet his ears, he wagged his tail happily. "What do you say we make your daddy some dinner and then we get you some playtime at the park?" Jethro just panted and wagged his tail more, Abby laughed, she knew he was happy, now if only McGee could be that easy.

Abby had no need to check the fridge. She had brought her own ingredients, Jethro followed her happily, hoping to lick up anything she had dropped to the floor, unwanted. Abby had given him more attention than he had had all week and that made him extremely happy. Abby planned to make her Grammy Sciuto's special spaghetti sauce, that supposedly no man could resist. She knew McGee would love it, after all the easiest way to a man's heart was through his stomach or was that his- Nevermind it wasn't that important. McGee would love her Grammy's recipe nonetheless. It was said to have magical powers.

Abby set the pot on the stove and began preparing the ingredients. To pass the time she turned on McGee's iPod, sitting in it's iHome on the kitchen counter. She didn't care what the music was she just needed music to calm her frazzled nerves. The iPod began to play gentle jazz, that was McGee in a nutshell, gentle at times and yet so unpredictable, he had a beat all his own, a computer geek-for lack of better word- with tattoos, unpredictable, like jazz, and her type of man.

The sauce was just coming to a simmer when the phone rang. She thought to be considerate and answered it "McGee Residence" she spoke, there was no sound on the other end, "Hello?" she asked again, only breathing on the other end. "Is anyone-" A hand reached around her mouth and pulled her close. She couldn't get loose. The other hand took the phone and hung it up, tossing it to the couch haphazardly. Abby didn't know what to think, she was going to die while she cooked McGee dinner, how domestic! Where was the fun in that?

"What exactly is your motive tonight, Miss Sciuto?" a voice purred from behind her, a voice she happened to recognize, "I'm sure one Special Agent McGee would love to know" So she wasn't going to die while she made him dinner, what a relief and yet she wished she had, now it was just plain embarrassing.

"McGee!" Abby exclaimed as he let her go and she turned to face him, the familiar glint of happiness in his eye, "I'll get you for that!" she threatened, he just laughed, he was so much more free with her than he was at work, at NCIS with everyone else watching, the fact that Gibbs could arrive at any minute had him more skiddish than a lab rat, but there was no chance of Gibbs showing up at his house, at least Abby didn't think so.

_ Kiss him Abby! _She thought as she watched him smile. She refrained, she didn't want to risk it and scare him away, that had happened before but not with McGee, but there was a first time for everything and she would not risk it happening now.

He noticed the kitchen and he smells of dinner cooking, that peaked his interest. "Cooking?" he asked as he looked to the kitchen and back to her, "You haven't done that since-" he paused and broke eye contact, he couldn't finish it. _Since we broke up_, were the words that never left his lips, so it was hard for him to face too. Then he realized "Wait!" he looked back to her "Wait a minute!" he looked to the kitchen and Jethro, wagging his tail at his feet, at their feet, "Is that what this is all about?"

Abby's face just held that sweet secretive smile as the phone rang again. McGee just ignored it and watched Abby as the Jazz played on, the Jazz that reminded him of her. The jazz that reminded him of her with it's unpredictable scales and time signatures and it's vivacity, the same vivacity that he found in her.

Something pushed him to pull her closer, to pull her closer to the jazz to the music to dance to, pull her closer to dance with him, to dance to the music that reminded him so much of her. It had been such a long week and it was nice to have human company that did not yell at you to find evidence or to find a murderer. He had missed holding her close to him like that so much.

"I guess it's a good thing I brought dessert" He whispered as they danced and the sauce, Grammy Sciuto's sauce simmered on the stove.

They stayed in silence for a few minutes, letting their feet do the talking, until the jazz piece ended. For both it ended too soon. The gentle tones of the jazz gave way to killer guitar riffs and screeching vocals. It definitely was not jazz, and was definitely not danceable. The sweet moment was gone and both wished they could get it back.

"McGee" Abby began sweetly as she watched him, he looked dead on his feet. "Why don't you go relax and I'll let you know when dinner's ready?" she turned the iPod back to soft jazz once more and McGee was liking the suggestion more and more. She pushed him to the couch and she headed back to the kitchen hoping that Grammy Sciuto's sauce would work it's wonders. No matter what happened she would break rule 12 and she would break it with McGee if he would have her after the hell she put him through.

McGee sat on down on his couch and slipped his shoes off, things were going as planned and with any luck he would break rule 12 with her that night, if things kept going so well, all he could do was hope and of course pour on the charm and hope that they could be together like before. So far things were going well. He laid back and relaxed and waited for Abby to return, Before he knew it he was out like a light, asleep, the smell of Grammy Sciuto's sauce in his dreams.

Abby poked her head out of the kitchen to find McGee asleep on the couch,too tired to even snore. She had come to tell him that dinner was ready but another thought crossed her mind. She moved quietly to McGee's sleeping form and leaned over, her face directly above his. She moved closer and closer about to kiss him when his eyes popped open. She hopped back, tripped over the coffee table and backed up nervously against the wall adjacent to the kitchen, a skiddish air to all of her actions, very un-Abby-like.

McGee knew what she had planned to do. He may have been asleep but he knew that look when he saw it, the look that said she wanted him. He wanted her too, he had never stopped wanting her all of the years since they had dated, but how far did he want it to go? He wanted to break rule 12, he knew that, but if it ended badly, again, he didn't want to face Gibbs, He'd castrate him, and if he did anything to Abby that she didn't like, she'd castrate him. If Gibbs found out about rule 12 and how they had broken it, he would castrate him. If Abby got pregnant, Both Gibbs and Abby would castrate him. Either way it didn't look good. McGee was going to go for it, no matter what the consequences.

McGee closed the gap between them and focused on her eyes. He put his arms around her and put his lips to hers, gently,a little unsure of how she would react.

Of course Abby kissed back and that only fueled him more, lead his hands to rove,explore more of her curves, it was definitely great to have someone to hold after the week he'd had. Abby wasn't objecting either, her week was just as overwhelming as his. They had spent hours in the lab together, but going over evidence rather than each other. The second option was much better, on that they both agreed. Things also happened to be going perfectly, that they both agreed on as well.

Abby's hands began to rove too, slipping off McGee's suit jacket and taking off his gun and badge, still as their lips never parted. She placed them on the side table, unused but not forgotten. That was when she found his handcuffs. She parted from him and held them up, a wicked smile on her red red lips. "Do you like foreplay, Tim?" she asked as the handcuffs swung like a pendulum.

McGee didn't know where she was going but she was Abby and he trusted her. "Well-" before he could continue Abby had forced him to the floor and cuffed both hands behind him, leaving him on his stomach, the typical perp position. He definitely wasn't expecting that. What he wasn't expecting even more was her walking away. "Abby?" he called, his face closer to the carpet than he ever wanted it, he couldn't remember the last time he vacuumed. He got no response, Jethro just began to lick his face. "Abby, come on!" She wasn't responding.

The minutes that she was away seemed like hours to McGee. Eventually she returned and strong armed him into a sitting position. She held a spoon with a bit of Grammy Sciuto's sauce that it contained. She held it up to him as she kneeled closer.

McGee knew exactly what it was. "Grammy Sciuto's better than sex sauce?" he asked, the last time she made that was the last time they were together together, as in dating, was it a sign? Was that her way of trying to say that they belonged together? Yeah right, she was probably just being nice after the tough week that they had had. She was trying to take care of him before she told him that she was dating someone else. Still he couldn't resist. "Now I really want to know just what your intentions are!" she said nothing, just put the spoon into his grinning mouth. "Just as good as ever" he complimented before her lips contacted his again, and she began to unbutton his shirt as they sank down to the unvacuumed carpet. Jethro just sat a few feet away, unsure how to react.

It was as Abby strattled his hips that McGee realized how much he hated his handcuffs. They prevented him from holding Abby, from touching her, from everything he wanted to do with her. Everything she was doing was driving him crazy and he could do nothing in return. He fought as hard as he could against the handcuffs but they would not budge. He could do nothing as she ran her soft, forensically inclined hands over his bare chest. He was going to get nowhere if she didn't remove the handcuffs from his wrists. Was she trying to drive him mad before she broke his heart again?

Abby's lips moved to his neck and he just couldn't take it anymore. "Abby" he began, pleaded, he wanted so bad to touch her, hold her, not feel like the unarmed man that he was with the cuffs. "Remove the handcuffs" she didn't seem to be listening. "Abby" he tried again, more sincere, less desperate perv sounding, "Please" she still didn't seem to be listening so he used all the force he could muster to roll over her, looking straight at her "Abby, please remove the handcuffs" That time he knew she heard him.

She pouted but finally agreed, then McGee faced another problem. The key was in his pants pocket and he was- well he was about to be embarrassed, to say the least. Abby being a forensic scientist, noticed the signs right away and she didn't mind, little did McGee know that had been her plan all along.

Before she could even remove both of the cuffs from McGee's wrists he had pulled her to him and kissed her with a force that even he himself didn't know he could muster as he carried her to his bedroom. Jethro would definitely be staying out of the bedroom that night.

Abby enjoyed the fact that he had taken charge and laughed at the fact that she had barely even needed Grammy Sciuto's sauce. They both realized it would be a delightful experience to break rule 12 officially, as they fell to the clean sheets that smelled of McGee.


	3. Awakenings

I don't own NCIS, but I wish I owned McGee...sigh

Chapter Three

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo awoke feeling tired, he expected it after his late night activities but he was more tired than usual, also because of his and Ziva's late night activities. The week had been long indeed.

Tony left the warmth of the bed that they shared and slumped to the kitchen to start the coffee, horny Mossad agent was scary but Mossad without coffee was sure to kill him, probably scarier than Gibbs without his morning brew- of course he meant NCIS agent- it seemed everyone was like that, except he didn't know about Probie, he never wanted to wake up next to Probie, therefore he never did want to know. Tony left the warmth of the bed that they shared and slumped to the kitchen to start the coffee, horny Mossad agent was scary but Mossad without coffee was sure to kill him, probably scarier than Gibbs without his morning brew- of course he meant NCIS agent- it seemed everyone was like that, except he didn't know about Probie, he never wanted to wake up next to Probie, therefore he never did want to know. Abby however- he shook the thought from his head and focused on the mundane task of making coffee.

A little over fifteen minutes later the coffee was done. Tony poured himself and Ziva a cup and took it to her. When he entered the room, he found he still passed out- asleep- she looked so peaceful, like she could do no wrong but Tony knew better than to make assumptions. He still didn't know all she had to do for Mossad. He sat down on the bed and she still didn't even move.

"Oh Ninja!" he cooed as he moved closer to her, the coffee cups safely on the dresser; he had learned his lesson before. "Oh my lovely Mossad agent! It's time to wake up!"

Ziva rolled over to face him. "I am a fully badged NCIS agent and a U.S. citizen at that." He knew that but he had known her as a Mossad agent for so long that it was hard to drop.

"So you're not using me to try and get a green card?" Tony teased "Damn!" he laughed as turned his body closer to hers, he thought himself quite attractive, but he knew she was more attractive than he was, she was after all a girl. "Well at least I know you love me".

She didn't answer, but he knew deep down, Ziva was not one to wear her emotions on her sleeve. "Where is my coffee?" she asked and he would take that for now.

He handed her the cup he had poured for her and watched as she sipped it in silence. He watched her and could tell that something was wrong. He'd spent years working with her ans almost a full year in bed with her and he knew, somehow, deep in his gut that something was wrong. "Ziva?" he asked hoping she wouldn't pour her scalding coffee over his head "What's wrong?" he couldn't resist "Is your Ninja Mossad instinct running amok again?" he braced himself for the worst.

"Yes it is actually" She voiced, the coffee nearly all but forgotten in her hands. "Do you think McGee and Abby are-"

Tony already knew what she was thinking "No way!" he laughed "That ship sailed a long time ago." They had dated before and it hadn't worked out, there was nothing more to say "Besides McGee doesn't have enough tattoos" Little did he know.

_**xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee awoke to Jethro licking his hand, the handcuff still dangling noiselessly over the edge of the bed. It took him a few minutes to remember how it had all happened and then he burst into the biggest smile he could muster. He had seen her tattoos, _all _of her tattoos. The spiderweb was just a teaser to all of the art that her body contained. He'd seen the stars on her hips, the constellations of her life, the rose above her left breast, over her heart, and of course his favorite, the large cross that covered most of her beautiful, perfect back. Though last night there were more important things on his mind rather than just her tattoos. Last night he had memorized every curve of her perfect body, just in case, on the off chance that they didn't get a chance to do that wonderful dance again. Though McGee knew those chances were slim. He knew she really loved him.

Jethro just watched him happily, his tongue hanging out as if to say _You're finally a real man, Master, you broke one of Gibbs's rules on purpose! _Though McGee knew all he really wanted was a walk and some attention.

As much as it pained McGee to do it he knew Jethro needed a walk. He looked to Abby, still asleep, he dark hair covering her sleeping face, her spiderweb almost calling him back into her arms. With any luck he'd be back before she even awoke, just a quick walk to get the blood pumping then back to bed with Abby to get the blood pumping in other ways. He left her a note just in case.

_Abs,_

_ I took Jethro for a walk. I should be back in a little while. Keep the bed warm for me._

_ Love,_

_ Tim_

That should be enough, just in case she did wake. Hopefully she wouldn't. He had always wanted to wake someone with a kiss, just like in all of the fairytales that his mother used to read to him and his sister, though he had never really seen himself as a handsome prince, not a knight in shining armor, or at least not until he had met Abby and tattooed his buttocks for her.

McGee got dressed, simple shorts and a t-shirt, and got Jethro's leash. He left the handcuffs on his wrist, just for the sheer fact that Abby had touched them, a little obsessive and a might creepy but he didn't care. It was his way of showing that he was taken, that his heart was forever hers.

He hooked up Jethro, took his keys with him and left the cluttered, but organized apartment, hoping that Abby wouldn't awake before he got back. He knew she would be in his mind the whole walk around the block and down to the park with Jethro.

_**xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs awoke without an alarm, as usual. He'd gone through those like he had gone through wives, though then again he had never actually shot any of his wives, at least not directly anyway.

Once again, he had fallen asleep under his boat, a product of the Bourbon and the sawdust? He didn't know but it did tend to happen a lot. The case files open all around him, still no leads had popped out at him and the case was getting colder by the second.

He didn't say anything, not even to himself, as he headed up the stairs to make a pot of coffee, the first but definitely not the last. He knew he'd lose count. If it wasn't with the coffee than it would be with the bourbon. Not that he was a booze-hound, he just liked his drink,especially when it was a tough case and that was a tough case.

He didn't bother with breakfast,all he needed was his coffee, his coffee and the case file. He would eat when he knew the perp that was preying on Navy personnel was behind bars or dead. He liked the second option better. Then again, there would always be another case, another sicko after navy personnel, maybe even his team. Well at least the job never got old, or stale, and he had great people to work with, though he would never admit it to them, Ducky maybe, since he was his senior but definitely not DiNozzo, McGee, or David. Perhaps Abby, she was like a daughter to him, but not DiNozzo, David, or McGee. Not unless they totally deserved it, or it was life and death,but he doubted it would ever get that serious. He didn't want his team to get big heads.

Gibbs went over the case files again, comparing them each detail at a time. The petty officers used different banks, different laundromats, different grocery stores, even different coffee shops. There was nothing that connected them. Then Gibbs saw the financial records. Both petty officers had spent large amounts of money at one "TerryJ's Tattoo Parlor". The same place that McGee had gotten his tattoo, or was it tattoos now? Gibbs didn't know but knowing Abby, she had probably rubbed off on him. It could be nothing but Gibbs's famous gut was going crazy.

Was the perp after McGee? If so, Why? What was his connection with the two petty officers? They went to different colleges, different grocery stores, different everything. Nothing connected them but the tattoo parlor. If that was all then why was Gibbs's gut still going crazy? It was then that he came across their tattoos. Son of a-

_**xxx NCIS xxx**_

Forensics specialist Abigail Sciuto rolled over without opening her eyes. She had had the sweetest dreams that she'd had in a while, since her conscience was clear. She stretched as she heard no noise coming from McGee's side of the bed. "McGee?" she asked as she reached for McGee but did not find him. She found the note.

Abby was not one to be patient, except for her machines. She read the note and decided that she needed coffee. She found one of McGee's old MIT t-shirts and a pair of his boxers, clean from the drawer, and put them on. She considered the removing of clothes foreplay and figured that McGee had not taken Jethro for a run in the buff so she leveled the playing field.

The coffee didn't take very long and it wasn't and good as her usual Caf-Pow! but it did the job well enough. It woke her up enough to have enough energy when McGee returned. She saved some for him too, just in case Jethro had worn him out.

Abby figured she'd make breakfast, she never usually made it for herself but for McGee she would do anything, even turn into the happy domestic housewife, even though they weren't married. She kept the note with her as she reheated Grammy's sauce. She read it as she cooked the eggs, sunny side up, McGee's favorite. Grammy Sciuto's sauce was better than ketchup over eggs. Grammy was an expert cook who Abby had learned from when Grammy was still alive, she'd probably be doing handstands in her grave if she knew that Abby was cooking for a man, especially for McGee, the type of man that Grammy had always wanted her to marry.

Abby turned on the iPod and was well at home with McGee's music, the jazz, the pan flute, the beautiful music that he listened to and that reminded her of him. She couldn't skip any, even the Elements song, especially the Elements song.

She was almost finished with breakfast when she heard someone trying to get in the lock. She figured it was McGee so she moved to the door. "Did you forget your key, McGee?" she asked as she opened the door, who she saw was not McGee. "You're not McGee!" she voiced as the woman pushed her forcefully into McGee's apartment, a knife pointed at her. Abby thought quickly "But McGee will be back any minute now" she just hoped she was right.

"Where is Special Agent Timothy McGee?" the unknown female asked, each word of his name sounded like acid as she spoke it, "Out walking his German Sheppard, Jethro, perhaps?" How did she know?

Abby was caught. She looked around for something, anything, to take care of the mystery woman, but she couldn't find a tazer or duct tape. The mysterious woman kept backing her up into the apartment. Abby threw McGee's typewriter, it hadn't worked against Michael Mawher and it didn't work then. She owed him another typewriter. All she had were her fists but the mysterious female was too far away.

Abby knew McGee would be back any minute so she just had to bide her time until he returned. But how to fend off the bitch until he returned? That was the million dollar question.

"Waiting for McGee?" the mysterious bitch asked "I'm afraid he as his dog are indisposed at the moment" Abby was unsure what she could mean "He ran into his old college girlfriend, a one Gina Marie?" she knew just how to press Abby's buttons.

Abby was backed into the kitchen where the sauce was boiling over and the eggs were well past sunny side up. She knew that Gina Marie was not real but she couldn't gain control of her emotions, she was just so angry at the mysterious female. Perhaps Grammy's sauce could be put to good use. At the next possible moment, in a flash, Abby pulled the sauce off of the stove and threw it towards the mysterious bitch. She missed and the sauce and the pot went all over McGee's small cluttered apartment.

Abby knew McGee's Sig Sauer was somewhere in his apartment but why bring a gun to a knife fight? She pulled the biggest knife she could find from the knife block and held it out in front of her. Now it was a fair fight.

"What the hell do you want?" Abby demanded, holding the knife out in front of her, ready to attack if the intruder attacked first. Only Abby knew she wouldn't miss.

" I want McGee to have time to write again." The bitch voiced "Or should I call him Thom E. Gemcity?" Abby had no idea why she was brandishing the knife at her, why wasn't she harrassing McGee? Then again, he wasn't able to handle creeps like she was "I'm here to make sure that Thom, or should I say Tim, doesn't blow his chances with a goth slut like you!"

That put Abby over the edge, she lunged and sliced the attacker on the arm, lining the knife with the bitch's blood. Evidence just in case Abby happened to disappear.

In the moment that Abby lunged the bitch grabbed her and forced her knife to Abby's neck. It wasn't the best of circumstances but at least there was some evidence to help solve her disappearance, maybe even murder, but Abby wasn't ready to die yet.

She knew she had to live, she couldn't die. She had to let McGee know how she really felt, in a real attempt, not just sweet words whispered during the act of love. She had to live!


	4. Marshmallows and Garbage

I don't own NCIS, but I wish I owned McGee...sigh

Chapter Four

Special Agent Ziva David had gone to shower, leaving Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo to himself. Gibbs had called, said it was urgent, said to meet at McGee's place as soon as possible. The first thing Tony had thought was _What had McGeek done now that was so important it couldn't wait until Monday?_ and his second thought was _Why did it have to be this weekend? _

Tony knew it was no use grumbling about the misfortunes of missed Saturday morning loving. When Gibbs called you, you went where he told you and didn't ask questions, that is unless you wanted to be fired. All Tony could do was muse about what the problem with McGeek could be until Ziva was out of the shower and he could get in.

He had tried to convince her that they could shower together,save water but she was adamant that since Gibbs had called, it was a work day, which meant no play at all. Unfortunately.

Ziva exited the bathroom, drying her hair, already dressed. Where was the fun in that? She just looked at him with the same contempt that she did at work. "Your turn Tony" she told him "I'll meet you there" He couldn't object. What would Gibbs think if they arrived together? Well he'd _know_ that they had broken rule 12, if he didn't already know. Tony sure as hell wasn't going to ask.

He got in the shower as he heard Ziva's coupe drive away. He knew her car's sound above all others, they had been together long enough for him to learn it's distinct purr. He hoped things with Gibbs and McGee wouldn't take long then he and Ziva could get back to their weekend plans. But things were rarely ever that easy.

**xxx NCIS xxx**

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs arrived at McGee's place. All things seemed normal on the outside but his famous gut was going crazy. He had no doubt that something was wrong with McGee. He sure as hell wasn't answering his door. That was why he had called Tony and Ziva, just in case there was a crime scene and if not at least Tony could relate to McGee better than he could.

His specialties were boats and bourbon and solving cases, not young NCIS agents that moonlit as fiction writers, or agents that constantly quoted movies, or agents that used to work for Mossad. He knew cases and evidence and catching the bastards that messed with the Navy, just cases, not people.

Ziva arrived a few minutes later, her hair tied back, her sig on her hip. "What is going on Gibbs?" she asked, her hand on her weapon just in case, her Mossad training kicking in. "Is something wrong with McGee?" she asked as Gibbs just waited.

"Where is DiNozzo?" Gibbs answered, still unsure what had really happened, but his gut still sending signals of distress.

"On your six boss!" DiNozzo called as he huffed up the stairs, his hair still wet, the t-shirt still sticking to his wet torso, it seemed he had skipped drying off after his shower.

In light of the situation Ziva laughed, trying to keep up the facade that they had not been together the night before. "Late night Tony?" she joked "what was this one's name? Cookie? Candy?"

"For your information Zee-Vah" Tony quipped back quickly "I was at a frat party last night and there was so much tail there that even you couldn't go without being laid" It was a total lie and everyone there, including Gibbs knew, but his gut was too out of control to do anything.

"Will you two shut up and focus!" Gibbs growled as he head slapped then both for good measure. He'd known all along that they were sleeping together but that was the least of his problems. "We treat this like a crime scene. You don't touch anything without wearing gloves" What if McGee was safe and inside? That wasn't really an option "You got me?"

Tony and Ziva agreed and they all entered, Gibbs first then Tony and Ziva. What they found shocked them.

The apartment was in shambles, McGee's tidy to the point of near OCD apartment was a wreck. The bookshelves tossed over, the typewriter was destroyed, the computers no longer computers but a jumble of wires and broken glass. It seemed everything was coated in a thick red liquid, not blood but tomato sauce. Something was definitely wrong.

The three of them fanned out to search for evidence,anything that could tell them what had happened. Tony took the kitchen, Gibbs took the living room and Ziva took the bedroom. All three on high alert to find a body, no one had that big of a struggle and lived, at least not usually. Ziva called them to her almost immediately.

"Gibbs!" she called, urgency in her voice. Had she found the body of Timothy McGee? Gibbs rushed to her and DiNozzo followed. Once they were in the doorway behind her and they saw that there was no body she continued "Do you smell that?" The evidence was screaming at her "The tossed sheets, the clothes everywhere, someone got plucky last night"

"It's lucky, Ziva" DiNozzo corrected her "Someone got lucky" though he couldn't see how McGee, the Probie, well not so Probie anymore, could get some tail and then get attacked, so _unlucky_.

"So we are looking for both McGee and his mysterious guest last night" Gibbs mused as his eyes scanned the room for any clues "Tony, shoot, Ziva bag an-"

There was an interruption at the door. Someone was trying to get in. All three reached for their Sig Sauers and pointed them at the door. The door opened to reveal McGee and Jethro on a leash. Definitely not what McGee or Gibbs was expecting to find.

"Boss" McGee began, definitely not expecting Gibbs to be in his apartment, especially not with gloves and evidence bags with him and his apartment in shambles. Was it some sort of sick joke? A way to show him that he knew all about McGee and Abby and didn't like it? "What's going on here?" he asked, ready to defend himself if Gibbs went for any kind of shot.

"You tell me, McGee" Gibbs responded, the edge of anger in his voice. "Ziva, bag and tag. DiNozzo, crime scene photos"

"Crime scene photos?" McGee asked. Shit! What had happened to Abby?

"McGee" Gibbs continued without pause "Outside, we need to talk" He watched as McGee left his apartment in a daze, Jethro behind him with his tail between his legs, even his dog gut knew something was wrong. Gibbs followed them out.

"Boss I-" McGee tried to speak but couldn't go on. Jethro just stood next to his master, trying to smell Gibbs but being held back by the leash.

"Just tell me what happened McGee" Gibbs began again, a gentler side to his voice. He had a feeling he knew what had happened but he wanted to hear it from McGee. "Start with when you left NCIS last night." After all that was when it all started right? McGee was still unable to speak so Gibbs prodded him along. "You got into the elevator with Abby, what happened next?"

Abby! Oh God! Where was Abby? Is that why Gibbs and the team was at his apartment? Where was she? Was she dead? Was she missing? Was it all his fault? Would Gibbs ever forgive him or would he walk with a permanent limp the rest of his life?

"Boss!" Tony interrupted as he stood outside of the apartment "We've got a note" he held it up in an evidence bag with a gloved hand. "Addressed to McGee"

Whatever they wanted for Abby he'd give it to them. Whatever it took to get her back, whatever it took. He would get her back no matter what!

"Read it aloud, DiNozzo" Gibbs voiced, without a second thought as he took his gaze away from McGee, perhaps hearing the demands for ransom would jog McGee's memory.

"I dunno boss" DiNozzo responded nervously, "It's pretty personal." he didn't say anything else, he knew just by looking at it that it would hurt McGee and that he'd never be the same.

"Did I ask you for a book review, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, anger in his voice "Read it out loud" He wasn't asking and he definitely wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Sorry McGee" Tony began in advance before he read, pulling himself away from the words, like he used to do when he was in school, when he didn't like what he read, though what he held in his hand, was much worse, much more personal. He didn't know what had happened between them but it wasn't good.

_Tim,_

_ I am not ashamed to say that our relationship is shit and will always be shit. Who were we kidding when we decided to have a relationship? You think just because you have one tattoo that we could be together forever? Have twelve kids and grow old together, dieing right after each other of old age? That's a fantasy and most fantasies don't come true and I can't see being attached to you for the rest of my life._

_ Last night was not special. Need I remind you about after Fred? Or after that creepy embezzler? Or after you though that someone was killing people based on your book? Or after the Jethro incident? Just like all of those times before last night was nothing special, just pity sex. Nothing special about that just sad and full of pity._

_ Do you even know how to be with a woman? Obviously you don't. Women don't like it when men act like sissies and cry everytime they orgasm. It gets old really fast. Obviously you can't handle yourself like a real man so you'll never be able to handle a real woman like me. Last night I was not impressed. Marshmallows were harder than you were last night. Marshmallows!_

_ I had to get out of here fast, I couldn't face you after that sad performance last night, I couldn't stand the fact that we might have an encore this morning. You'll never see me again. Tell Gibbs and Tony and Ziva that I'm sorry. None of you will ever see me again. I'm sorry I didn't take your garbage out before I left._

_ Abby_

"Abby was with you last night?"Gibbs bellowed, glaring at McGee, he had seemed to forget that Abby had just broken McGee's heart, though McGee deserved it since he let her disappear. That was not the way that McGee had wanted to break the news to Gibbs about rule 12.

Even Tony thought Gibbs was too rough on McGee in light of the "dear John" letter he'd just received. "Tough break McGee" he voiced as he reached out to McGee to touch his shoulder, give him some support. If needed he would be the shoulder to cry on after Gibbs tore him a new one.

If McGee was so torn up about receiving a "dear John" letter from Abby, the forensics expert who he'd been hung up on for years, then why was he smiling? Was it shock? Or something more?

Gibbs picked up on McGee's strange mood right away. He head slapped him harder than usual. "Is there something you're not telling us, Special Agent McGee?" he was without a doubt pissed, livid, white hot angry that McGee had lost Abby, and that he hadn't made her as happy as she could be in the sack. Both DiNozzo and McGee weren't sure but they did know that Abby was without a doubt Gibbs's favorite. McGee knew he was as good as dead, especially if they didn't find Abby. "McGee!" Gibbs bellowed "Is there something I don't know?"

McGee figured he had better tell "Well Boss" he began as he looked to Tony, Jethro and then Gibbs. "I know that letter is a fake".

Tony just laughed in light of the recent events and the evidence letter in his hand. "Fake, McGee? Are you telling us you're really that good in bed?" A head slap from Gibbs followed, it wasn't the time for jokes "Sorry boss".

"What do you mean McGee?" Gibbs punctuated every word, he wasn't in the mood for guessing games, especially when his forensics scientist was involved.

"Well it was more of a joke boss" McGee explained, Gibbs wasn't impressed, another thing he wasn't in the mood for, jokes. McGee continued "Boss, when Abby and I first started having lunch dates we decided to have code words. " McGee laughed as he thought back,Gibbs wasn't getting the hilarity but he knew McGee was telling the truth, his eyes were pointed the right way. "It was a joke because I was never out in the field" Now McGee was starting to get to the point. "Marshmallows was the distress word!"

McGee decided to leave out the part about the word garbage being "I love you". It was too personal and not entirely connected to the case. But if he had to tell her one thing he'd say "Garbage" without a doubt.


	5. Coffee and Shadows

I don't own NCIS, though I wish I owned McGee...sigh

Chapter Five

Special Agent Timothy McGee sat in Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs's living room, nursing a cup of coffee. Jethro was at his feet, he seemed to sense the urgency, he was anxious. Since the morning at his apartment McGee had showered and waited and waited, he wasn't allowed in his apartment since Tony and Ziva were still searching for evidence, so he had to borrow some of Gibbs's clothes. He could do nothing but wait until Gibbs returned. It had been two hours, and McGee knew it was going to be a long day.

How could he let that happen to Abby? How could he let her be kidnapped? Why hadn't he stayed to protect her? All he knew was he would find her, kill the son of a bitch that took her, and make it up to her the best he could, if she would still have him. The truth was he didn't exactly know how much of her letter was true and how much of it was false. It was making him feel insecure on to of feeling insecure about losing Abby, he was depressed and angry and starting to understand why Gibbs acted the way he did. Something about losing someone you love changes a man, he wouldn't rest until he found Abby. He had gone through almost a whole pot of coffee already and was feeling no different.

McGee finished the cup of coffee he'd been working on and went and got another. Gibbs made amazing coffee, compared to his own that coffee was pure bliss, from heaven itself, it made his coffee taste like dirt.

He got another cup and sat back down on the couch. He didn't know exactly when Gibbs would get back but he was content to sit and drink his wonderful coffee. Jethro however was itching to go outside, though he was being very nice about it, he wasn't barking, just laying with his head on his paws and pouting with his eyes. McGee was too worried about Abby to notice.

The door clicked open with a definite key in the lock. Someone who was supposed to be there. Perhaps the coffee had keyed him up just a bit. He held his cup like a weapon just in case. Maybe someone had stolen Gibbs's keys? But who would face Gibbs alone? Maybe it was a gang!

McGee didn't even think. He reached for his sig on his belt to find that it wasn't there, it was at his apartment with Tony and Ziva, where it could be of no use to him. He looked around and saw Gibbs's umbrella holder. He'd have to use what he had.

The assailant entered the living room and McGee jumped out from the corner, the pink frilly umbrella about to crash down on the assailant's head. Only the assailant was-

"Ducky?" McGee exclaimed, utterly surprised to see the Medical Examiner with his hands over his head, not looking very impressed.

"Merlin's Beard, Timothy!" He exclaimed, in his typical Scottish way, as he lowered his hands "Are you purposely trying to induce me into a myocardial infarction?" He obviously was not very happy to have the living daylights scared out of him.

"I'm sorry Ducky" McGee replied as he lowered the umbrella and put it back in it's holder "I guess I'm just a little keyed up" Perhaps the magnificent coffee was affecting him after all.

"Ah yes" Ducky mused as he set a bag on Gibbs's coffee table "Gibbs's coffee does have quite a kick" He spoke from experience? "I have brought you lunch, Timothy" he leaned into the bag and handed a bone to Jethro. "And you too Jethro!"

Jethro didn't even sniff the bone, he just pushed it away with his nose and returned his head to his paws. The sad look in his eyes very apparent.

"You know Timothy" Ducky began again as he took McGee's lunch out of the bag and handed it to him. "Canines are very attuned to their master's emotions" McGee had a feeling Ducky was going to try and read him like a book "Would you like to talk about it over lunch?"

It was a tempting offer but McGee wasn't really up to talking. "Sorry Ducky" he voiced "I'm not really up to getting my head shrunk right now" It was true, he preferred to be alone.

"Interesting phrase 'getting your head shrunk'" Ducky responded "It came from the continent of Africa when the white settlers-"

"Ducky! Please!" McGee begged, "I'm really not in the mood!" Ducky didn't say anything, he just waited for McGee to continue, he knew he would. "Abby is out there being tortured or worse and I'm sitting here doing nothing! I feel so useless! I should be out there processing the scene, collaring the bastard that did this but instead I'm here!" Ducky was noticing the similarities between McGee and Gibbs. "I'm sitting on my ass waiting to hear if she's dead and I can't take it anymore!"

"Well what would you do Timothy?" Ducky asked, it was a generally open question to gauge McGee's point of view on the whole situation. A general profiling question.

" I would go to the lab, run tests, search the scene, find evidence and put the bastard who did this behind bars for a long time" So he wasn't totally like Gibbs yet. Gibbs would kill the bastard without a doubt. Though Ducky couldn't say what McGee would do if Abby was found dead. He would probably give Gibbs a run for his money.

"Alas Timothy" Ducky responded "That would be a conflict of interest." he was right and McGee knew it, though his judgment was clouded because of his involvement with Abby. "You cannot work this case."

"I know Ducky" McGee responded annoyed, he'd heard the same thing from Gibbs many times "But it would beat sitting around here doing nothing" Ducky knew full well that an idle mind was the Devil's playtoy and that if left alone McGee would keep imagining the worst.

"Timothy" Ducky responded "you should try to sleep" he knew that would be the best thing for him in his time of depression "I am aware that you did not get much sleep last night" Did everyone know about he and Abby? Well of course Ducky would know, Gibbs had probably told him. McGee was becoming paranoid.

McGee set down the unopened deli sandwich and the handcuffs slipped out. He tried to hide them but Ducky stopped him. McGee knew he had to explain. "They're my handcuffs Ducky. " he started "Abby and I-"

"No need to explain, Timothy" Ducky really wasn't interested in McGee's sex life. He had learned not to ask when objects were involved. Ducky was a striking young man in his youth and with working with NCIS cam more answers than he needed to know "I'm sure it is something that should stay between you and our own Miss Sciuto."

"Thanks Ducky" McGee responded as he laid down on the couch. Ducky was about to leave to give the young man some privacy when he stopped him. "What are the chances that we'll find her?" he asked, he wasn't the one who had previously been a cop or in Mossad, he was the one who dealt with computers, he had no idea what Abby's chances were and that worried him.

"Well Timothy" Ducky responded, doing his best not to scare the youngest agent "That all depends on the evidence" He too knew how hard it could be to find someone.

_**xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo processed evidence in the trashed kitchen. He thought it was weird that he was processing evidence at a co workers house, that he was bagging McGee's random kitchen items, and he had quite a few strange kitchen items, half of them Tony couldn't even name if he tried. It was even weirder that Abby was the one who was the victim. He was about to bag a stray knife with what looked like blood on it, when he heard the strange noise of breaking glass. He stopped and looked to Gibbs and Gibbs looked back at him. They both knew it was Ziva.

Both Gibbs and Tony dropped what they were bagging and ran to McGee's bedroom. The window was broken and a shadowed figure stood in front of it, his shoulders hunched, Tony knew the difference between male shadows and female shadows, he'd seen enough of both to be absolutely sure the shadow was a he. The shadow turned around to face the two agents with guns ablazin'! Once they saw it was Abby's previous stalker Michael Mawher they loosened up a little, but not much. Gibbs kept his sig trained on Mawher and Tony went to make sure that Ziva was alright.

"You ok, Ziva?" Tony called as he looked out the window to see her laying on the grass. He was worried she would be worse but she stood up and shook herself off. She was just a little hurt, nothing she couldn't handle.

"I am fine" she responded as she brushed the grass off of her blouse. "Nothing two aspirins and an icepack won't fix." She was simple like that, no real use of drugs like aspirin unless she really needed it, so Tony knew she was worse off than she was actually saying.

Gibbs grabbed Mawher once he knew Ziva was ok, he wasn't gentle with him "What the hell are you doing here, Mawher?" he bellowed, he wasn't in the mood for all of the distractions that the day had contained thus far.

Mawher had the usual look on his face, the look that told Gibbs that he knew he would be castrated if he didn't like his answers. " I was here cleaning the crime scene." Was it really that simple? "Someone paid me double to get here quick and get out quick" He knew no one was believing him but it was the truth as far as he was concerned. "I didn't see any I.D. so I figured she was here to take the cleaning job too."

Tony glared at him, it just didn't seem plausible. "So you pushed her out of a window?" he was obviously skeptical and Mawher was obviously a liar, wasn't he?

"Well my business, the crime scene clean up business, not the other business, isn't going so well and I really need the money" he paused and Gibbs had a feeling he knew what was coming next "If I want to win Abby back" Yeah Gibbs knew that was coming.

Gibbs grabbed him hard by the arm and lead him out forcefully, the same pissed look usually on his face only about 100 times more fierce. Gibbs would probably kill him if he said something wrong. "I'm taking him to interrogation" he growled, "You and Ziva finish processing"

"You got it, Boss!" Tony responded, not wanting to say anything else and acquire Gibbs's ire for Michael Mawher. He was relieved that Ziva was ok and that Gibbs would no longer be breathing down their necks. Gibbs was definitely scary when Abby was missing.


	6. Whatever it Takes

I do not own NCIS, though I wish I owned McGee...sigh

Chapter Six

Forensic Specialist Abigail Sciuto's ex boyfriend and current stalker sat alone in interrogation. HE had been there before and he knew what to expect, he was ready for Gibbs and his questions. Actually he was about to lose control of his bowels.

Michael Mawher was no fool, or maybe he was. He took the crime scene cleanup without asking questions because he knew he might see Abby, it was after all her co workers place, wasn't it? That was where he had followed her to protect her all of those years ago. With any luck maybe her co worker would be dead and she would run into his arms and cry and they'd get back together and stay together forever. All he wanted was another chance with her, he knew they were meant to be together. He knew she would see the error of her ways and that they'd love each other until the end of time. Maybe he wasn't so scared of Gibbs.

The door to interrogation slammed and Michael jumped about three feet in the air. If Gibbs wasn't so pissed he would've laughed, or at least taken some pleasure in it. Gibbs kept his mouth shut, he knew he could scare Mawher more that way, he took pleasure in making Mawher sweat, especially since Abby was missing and he was the prime suspect, the only suspect he had.

Mawher was scared, both he and Gibbs knew that, but he also knew he had to ask, he had to inquire, to see if he had any chance, an chance at all with his true love. "So is Abby still working here?" silence so he continued on "Can I see her?"

Was he trying to provoke Gibbs into killing him? He was obviously pushing his limits "Is this all some sort of joke to you?" Gibbs bellowed as he ripped the chair away from the table, throwing it to the opposite wall, causing it to shatter. He was in no mood for games "Tell me where Abby is!" he growled, he was sure he would kill the sad example of a goth if he didn't get answers soon.

Mawher just looked at him with the same dopey confused look that he always had, only was there some concern in his face? "What are you talking about?" it was the same look he had the last time he was in interrogation. Gibbs hated to admit it but he knew, his gut told him, that Mawher had nothing to do with it, he was just a pawn. Though Gibbs would thoroughly check it out any way he could and he would hold Mawher just in case he had anything else to say.

Gibbs stomped out of interrogation and back to the bullpen. He wasn't a genius at computers but he couldn't ask McGee, it would be a huge conflict of interest and that wouldn't help any of them find Abby. He would get Tony and Ziva to help when they returned, if they returned, there was so much evidence in that apartment, so much to do and no real leads, at least not yet. All Gibbs could do was hope.

_**xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo walked into his kitchen and grabbed the Advil. He and Ziva had spent hours and hours in McGee's place bagging and tagging anything and everything. He took the whole bottle, he knew Ziva would need some too, after her fall from McGee's bedroom window.

He knew she was sitting on his bed, icing her sore muscles form the fall, it proved she was tough, even he, Anthony Michael DiNozzo Jr, didn't know if he could survive that fall. Even though she had fallen he knew she wouldn't be gentle with him, but with a couple of Advil in his system he would be just fine. A distraction was what he needed, what they needed.

"How's the smokin' bod, Madame Mossad?" Tony asked as he sat down next to her on the bed "I mean miss NCIS" he corrected as he saw the look on her face.

Ziva didn't appreciate that Tony kept calling her Mossad when she no longer was, she knew he knew that better than anyone, but she put up with it because as much as she didn't like it, he made up for it in many ways, it was just a small quirk like how he always talked about movies, it was something she got used to. "It is fine, Tony" she replied as she removed the icepack from her hip, revealing a developing bruise. "How are you feeling?" she knew the day had been hard on both of them, more than usual since their younger co workers were involved.

Tony kissed her bruise gently "Well nothing a few Advil won't fix" he responded, he put the icepack on her hip and moved to her lips. He kissed her once and handed her the bottle of Advil.

Ziva just laughed "How about a massage Tony?" she asked as she put her hands to his temples "or will it take more than that?"

Tony flashed his million dollar DiNozzo smile "Oh I think It will take much more than that" he voiced as he moved to hold her in his arms. The case would still be there tomorrow, unfortunately.

_**xxx NCIS xxx**_

Forensic expert Abigail Sciuto awoke to darkness. She had been thrown into something hard and carpeted, her forensics expertise told her it was a car trunk, the most used transport for kidnapees. Her head was bleeding, she knew that from the painful throbbing from her temple, but that wasn't a problem, she had to find McGee and make sure he was alright. If he was dead because of her...she figured it was best not to think that way.

Abby fumbled around in the darkness looking for the lever that would pop the trunk. Then again it was supposed to glow in the dark, so that told her she was in an older model car. The main question then became, How to get out? How to get out of a trunk? What was that Ziva had told her? Something about the tail light!

Abby's hands weren't tied. That was one of the advantages of going with her kidnapper willingly, even saying she'd write a note to throw the feds off of their trail. She just hoped McGee got the message, that she really didn't mean all that she wrote. That it was actually the best few hours that she had spent with McGee in a long time.

Since her hands were untied she was free to proceed to try and break out the headlight. It was harder than she expected, they really made the plastic break resistant. Finally she got the plastic to give, though it alerted the mysterious bitch female. The car stopped and Abby was forced into the car trunk in front of her yet again. The force of the momentum causing her head more pain.

Abby had it planned, the trunk would open and she'd jump out, incapacitate her attacker and drive back to the navy yard where the bitch would be arrested on kidnapping charges. The trunk opened and Abby jumped, only the bitch expected it. She fended Abby off and forced her back into the trunk, not being gentle at all.

She continued to drive, not obeying the laws of the road, throwing Abby around in the trunk like a rag doll. Abby was all for thrills but that was just too much. Her only other option, which she didn't put much stock in, was telepathy.

_**xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee awoke to the darkness of the early morning. His head pulsed and his vision swam. He felt as though he had too much to drink, though he hadn't had any, or had he? He checked his watch in the darkness and noted the time.3:27am. Just Great! He hadn't slept through yet another night.

He looked around and realized that he was still at Gibbs's residence, because Abby was missing. After that there was no way he could go back to sleep. He wondered if Gibbs was still awake, though he figured he was since he drank so much coffee. He stumbled down to the basement and found Gibbs sanding the hull of his boat as silent as the grave. He instantly turned as McGee stumbled down the stairs, his vision still clouded by sleep and the throbbing headache. He was shocked by what he saw. He'd seen it before, twice, and he knew it couldn't be good. Somehow McGee had come into contact with poison oak again, but how? On his walk with Jethro?

"Boss-" McGee began but stopped for he knew not how to continue. He wanted to apologize about Abby but he knew it was a sign of weakness.

**Don't apologize, it's a sign of weakness.** Gibbs's rule number six.

"You look like hell McGee" Gibbs responded, the sharp edge of truth in his voice, though just a statement, no malice behind it. The Gibbs way of simple truth.

"I feel like hell Boss" McGee answered as he lowered himself to the last step he stood on and scratched his swollen, red puffy face and then his arm, then he tried to reach his back. "Boss I know about rule six but I'm going to have to break it" he inhaled "I'm sorry about Abby, Boss, it never should have happened and-"

Gibbs didn't want to hear his apology, he knew what it was like to lose a loved one and he felt the need to cut McGee some slack. He knew Abby could handle herself, though he also knew he didn't want to lose another daughter. Sure Abby wasn't really his daughter but he thought of her as his daughter and he couldn't bare to lose her. "You've got poison oak, McGee" he spoke, getting straight to the point, no misdirection at all.

McGee just shook his head, he didn't come in contact with any poison oak, he would've remembered. "No Boss" he answered, "when I'm really stressed I get stress spots" he knew Gibbs wasn't buying it but he knew it was true, he would have remembered touching poison oak, wouldn't he? "They just look like poison oak and itch. It's no big deal"

Gibbs wouldn't take no for an answer. "Ducky is checking you out in the morning" it wasn't a request, more a demand and McGee knew, he knew Ducky wouldn't object either.

There was a quiet lull in the conversation and McGee knew he had to ask. "Any leads about Abby, Boss?" he knew it was really early to tell but he had to know.

Gibbs continued to sand, his way of not answering, pretending he didn't hear the question, or was he just ignoring McGee? He should have known there were no leads so soon, he knew he shouldn't tell McGee about Mawher, who was still in interrogation. It would be another conflict of interest, and probably an IA report, the last thing they all needed. For this case McGee wasn't an investigator he was a witness. Gibbs couldn't discuss the case.

As much as it pained him to do it, Gibbs knew he had to interrogate McGee, though after Ducky checked him out, Gibbs knew how nasty his allergy to poison oak could be. "Get some sleep McGee" was all Gibbs would say, at least until tomorrow, when it would only get worse.

Abby was already missing 19 hours and her chances to survive were being drastically reduced and they really had no leads. Gibbs didn't like those odds. He didn't like them at all, but he would find Abby even if it killed him. He did not want to hire another Forensics Scientist. He'd lost many agents in the field but never a forensics scientist. Abby would not be his first. She was going to be found and she was going to be found alive. Whatever it took, screw the conflict of interest clause, whatever it took!


	7. Phone Calls and Itching Flesh

I do not own NCIS, though I wish I owned McGee...sigh

Chapter Seven

Medical Examiner for NCIS, Donald Mallard, walked into autopsy to find his assistant Jimmy Palmer dancing and singing to his iPod, oblivious to the Medical Examiner's entrance, though Dr. Mallard was not oblivious to Jimmy. His singing could wake the dead, if there had been any in autopsy. Under normal circumstances the doctor would have been a lot less hostile but Abby was missing and Gibbs was breathing down his neck, so his temper was very short.

"Mr. Palmer!" Ducky bellowed, also loud enough to wake the dead "Cease and Desist Immediately!" Of course Jimmy heard him, though he'd never heard the doctor sound so angry. "Please go clean the cold storage and the van" he needed privacy to examine McGee on Gibbs's orders. Also Tony and Ziva had called, asking for consults. He had no time to waste. He just hoped Ziva wasn't pregnant. That was all the team needed with everything else that was happening.

"Yes Doctor" Palmer answered, too nervous to say anything else or even object.

Finally Ducky was alone to collect his thoughts and really alone, the two petty officers had left the night before and there were no other bodies in Autopsy. When Gibbs had called about McGee, Ducky figured he wanted a psychological consult. He did not expect to see what he saw when McGee walked in looking like- well like he was a lepper.

"Good Lord Timothy!" Ducky gasped as he saw him "Another bout with Poison oak?" He asked as he donned gloves and watched as McGee climbed up on one of the tables, not nearly as nervous as he had been the few times before.

"No Ducky" McGee responded as he took off the jacket, loaned to him by Gibbs, "It's just stress spots. I used to get them all the time when I was a kid" That was his defense and he was sticking to it "Gibbs thinks it's poison oak" He explained.

"Well let's see shall we?" Ducky voiced, McGee knew the drill, he'd been examined by Ducky before. "I am a doctor McGee. I can assure you I know the difference between Poison oak and stress spots as you call them." McGee stripped down to his skivies and was covered in bright red raised irritations. After a few minutes Ducky came to a conclusion. "Well Timothy" he surmised "It is an allergic reaction to poison oak" McGee didn't look happy and Ducky knew it. "I am going to prescribe you some cortisone cream"

McGee sighed "How did I come in contact with it Ducky?" He moaned "I haven't been in the woods lately and I know I didn't touch any on my walk with Jethro, I didn't see any" Though poison oak was the least of his problems, he had to find Abby, and make sure she was ok.

"Well Timothy" Ducky responded, quite embarrassed for the young man "Let's just concentrate on getting rid of it" Ducky did have a point "Now Timothy-"

McGee knew what was to happen next, it wouldn't be a full physical without it. He knew he had to drop his drawers. Of course he dropped his drawers, revealing his manhood just as Tony and Ziva walked in itching. Both stopped as they saw the scene before them.

"Jeez McHappy!" Tony gasped "What's wrong with you?" He was torn between the urge to laugh or toss his breakfast.

"Shut up Tony, please!" McGee begged as a blush spread across his cheeks, he didn't expect to be stark naked in front of Ziva in a million years. "It's poison oak"

Tony just laughed " Can't tell the difference McRanger Rick?" He asked as he and Ziva itched all over. That was when he seemed to realize "You gave this to us!" he itched again "This is your fault!" Obviously no one was very happy about the whole situation.

McGee was about to quip back when Ducky stopped them "Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Calm down! In a few days you'll both be back to normal" he figured it would be easier to examine them all at once since they showed symptoms of the same thing. Tony and Ziva were much easier examinations than McGee, neither of them were allergic to the plant. The biggest mystery was how had they all gotten it?

_**xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs walked into the office to find Tony and Ziva itching and arguing over theories of poison oak attainment and McGee covered in pink. He was right, it had been poison oak, then again when was he wrong?

He watched as McGee sat at his desk looking quite downtrodden. Abby missing was hard on him, as it was on everyone else, but it was more of a burden on McGee, especially since he couldn't do anything to help find her, or could he?

"Any theories on how you all got poison oak?" Gibbs pondered as he walked in sporting his usual coffee, of course not very pleased about the whole situation, first Abby missing and then his whole team getting poison oak? Gibbs didn't believe in coincidences. That was one of his countless rules, the rules that he and his team lived by.

"Not a one Boss!" Tony answered as he scratched for the countless time that morning, while glaring at McGee, death glare, the worst kind.

Gibbs looked to Ziva, the determination apparent on her face as she focused on her screen, trying to avoid itching, "Ziva, are you ok to work?" He didn't want to be down an agent.

"I am fine, Gibbs" Ziva responded, still trying to resist the itch "It is just this-" that was all he needed to know, he didn't want the dirty details.

"Where the hell is Palmer?" Gibbs spouted as he paced the bullpen. After McGee had tasted his coffee he knew why Gibbs was so keyed up, he understood, he was plenty keyed up himself after a few cups of Gibbs's coffee. Though they all were confused as why Gibbs was looking for Palmer. Why Gibbs, the toughest agent at NCIS, was looking for the meager Medical Examiner's assistant was anyone's guess.

"I'm right here sir" Palmer answered, flustered as he darted out of the elevator. McGee's desk phone began to ring but he didn't answer.

"Don't sir me" Gibbs growled before he took a quick swig of his coffee, it was blatantly obvious that Gibbs was more pissed than he had ever been before. McGee's phone kept ringing. "Are you gonna answer that, McGee?" he shouted, oh yeah he was pissed.

McGee answered his desk phone, not wanting to incur Gibbs's wrath "McGee" he spoke, there was a slight pause then McGee hit the speaker phone button as probed by the caller.

"Hello Special Agent Timothy Sean McGee" the warbled voice came from the speaker, malice in every word of his full name, everyone stopped and stared at McGee's phone. "Would you like to play a game?" No one even moved or itched.

"What do you want?" McGee voiced, trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice. Was this the mysterious person that had Abby?

"Is that any way to get my approval?" the voice asked, malice in every syllable. "You'll never find Miss Abigail Sciuto that way".

Gibbs was about to yell out, threaten the bastard that held Abby,but McGee beat him to it "What the hell did you do with her?" he slammed his fist on the desk in anger.

The voice on the phone was just as calm as ever, though the malice still there, the malice that would never leave. "Let's play a game" Gibbs's team and Palmer all looked at each other, what kind of a sick game was this person planning? "You answer my questions correctly, I reward you, you don't and I hurt her." How could McGee object? The simple answer? He couldn't. "Expect my call" the line went dead.


	8. Uh Oh!

I do not own NCIS, though I wish I owned McGee...sigh

Chapter Eight

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs watched as his people began to work, he hadn't hand to tell them to do anything and they knew, they knew what needed to be done. Still he had to know that they were doing the appropriate tasks. "DiNozzo!"

DiNozzo didn't even have to think "Tracing the phone call, Boss!"

That was exactly what he wanted to hear "David!"

"Checking Abby and McGee's financials, Gibbs!" She knew too. His team was prepared to catch the bastard that messed with them and their own.

"McGee!" Gibbs spoke but got no response. McGee was staring at his phone, now emitting the ominous dialtone. "McGee!" he spoke again, still no response "McGee!"

McGee looked up and hung up the phone as soon as he realized "Boss?" He was unsure what to do, he knew it would be a conflict of interest, but then again why was he still at the office? Was Gibbs trying to torture him like that or had he forgotten that McGee couldn't work on the case? No, Gibbs never forgot anything, he had McGee there for a reason.

"Forensics Evidence, McGee" Gibbs explained, thinking he already knew that. "Take Palmer with you, I don't want anyone objecting because of the damn Conflict of interest issue." He turned to DiNozzo and David. "We catch this bastard any way we can! We find Abby no matter what!" That was good enough for the Gibbs Team.

"Boss?" McGee asked nervously as his eyes drifted to the phone, anxiety apparent in his every move, in every thought in his head.

"No one, and I mean no one, answers that phone but McGee" No one questioned Gibbs, everyone knew that. "We'll get you if it rings, McGee" That had to be enough "Get to the lab that's the best way to get Abby back" Everyone knew that, though it would probably take longer, since the last time McGee had been in her lab alone. But no matter what he would find her and be with her for the rest of his life, if she would have him.

_**xxx NCIS xxx**_

Forensics specialist Abigail Sciuto felt used and abused. She was in the dark but she knew by her body placement that she was chained to a wall, a wall of stones and concrete with her arms above her head. If she had to guess she would say she was in a dungeon or at least a medieval set piece. It smelled of woodchips and stone and- was that blood? She could hear water and footsteps. Where exactly was she?

She heard her attacker talking through a voice changer. She knew it was her attacker because of the high pitched timbre and the clear malice when speaking about her to-

"Hello Special Agent Timothy Sean McGee" McGee was ok? She was calling McGee for what? Abby thought she wanted her dead so McGee would write again, so why was she calling McGee?. "Would you like to play a game?" What was this sick psychopath thinking? Why was she egging McGee on? Why was this bitch so mean? Abby knew if she got loose she would kill her.

"What do you want?" Abby heard McGee's voice, only slightly distorted by the phone. McGee was ok! Abby could tell he was nervous but that he was also determined. How would the attacker react?

The attacker breathed in, evidenced by the distorted squeal in the voice changer. She was not pleased"Is that any way to get my approval?" Why did McGee need her approval? Did he even want her approval?. "You'll never find Miss Abigail Sciuto that way" Now the attacker wanted McGee to find her? What was the point of that? Or was she trying to egg him on? She knew that Gibbs would get angry, she expected that, that was normal for Gibbs, especially when his favorite was involved.

"What the hell did you do with her?" the sound of something slamming on a desk, a fist? Wait a minute! Was that McGee? If Abby wasn't mistaken it was McGee. If she wasn't gagged she would have cried out. The fact that McGee was so angry, so determined to find her, made her glad that she had been with him and not some other douchebag like her ex Michael Mawher.

There was a distinct pause. No one seemed to breathe. Even Abby held her breath. What would happen next?

The attacker didn't even seem to change her attitude, the malice never leaving"Let's play a game" Who was this sick bitch and what kind of game did she want to play? How and what did I all have to do with Abby and McGee?"You answer my questions correctly, I reward you," That sounded good to Abby, rewards like Caf-pows, were nice, "you don't and I hurt her." That did not sound so good to Abby, she did not like pain, she did not want pain.

There was no sound on the other end, was McGee still there? Did he know that her letter was fake, to throw everyone else off of the trail, but did he know that she didn't mean any of it? That she truly loved him and wanted to be with him no matter what, that was the real truth, the only truth that mattered to her.

Since no one answered on the other end the attacker took advantage of the silence. "Expect my Call" the attacker growled, the voice changer squealing in pain, even her machines didn't like her. She hung up the phone and left Abby guessing as to what McGee and the Team were doing next.

The attacker opened a door near Abby with a deafening creak flooding the darkness with light and nearly blinding Abby. That was when Abby realized that one of her eyes was swollen shut , probably from the less than gentle car ride.

The attacker grabbed her face roughly, while Abby was still blinded. Her attacker smelled of pineapples and suntan lotion, not the best combination, gunpowder and black roses and McGee's aftershave was a much better combination. "How long do you think it will take for Special Agent Timothy McGee to tire of these questions and give up on you?" she asked, the voice changer long deserted somewhere else. Her normal voice even sounded like a psycho. "How long until he realizes that he's wasting his time on a useless, whore goth bitch?" Each word stung but it was nothing she hadn't heard before, but really how long did she have? Especially if McGee didn't realize that the letter, her letter, was fake.

Abby couldn't let her attacker see that she was worried about that so she lied "He'll never give up" she responded as she fought against her chains but to no avail, they just groaned and stayed where they were. "He'll never give up until you're dead" At least she hoped so, but then again was she talking about McGee or Gibbs?

The attacker just laughed "Are you sure you're not speaking about Special Agent Gibbs?" She paused "No, Special Agent Gibbs would have found me by now" Abby just glared, the attacker came to a realization "What if you die first?" Shit! Abby hadn't thought about that.

Hopefully it wouldn't come to that, but then again if she died McGee would go Emo and die his hair black and get tattoos in her honor and that would be quite attractive- but she would be dead- not so attractive.

Abby didn't even have to think, she knew her answer "He will kill you without a second thought" Again was she talking about McGee or Gibbs? "And then when I see you in hell, I'll kill you again and again and again and again." Abby meant business and if she wasn't chained her attacker would already be dead.

"You're very audacious aren't you?" The attacker laughed "So many questions for Special Agent McGee to answer about you" she held up a small, worn, black book. Abby recognized it as her personal, private journal, one that she had never let anyone read. If that was where her captor was going to get her questions from, McGee was screwed. They were screwed and she was as good as dead. That was not how she thought their relationship would start again and end. If he couldn't answer, which she knew he couldn't, she was dead. She had never told anyone about what was in her journal. How did the bitch captor know about it? Had they met before? No Abby would have remembered her. She never forgot anyone or anything.


	9. Cats, Chats and Oh Snaps

I do not own NCIS, though I wish I owned McGee...sigh

Chapter Nine

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo had to hit the head, after three hours at the computer tracking the phone call that didn't have an ending place. It kept pinging to China and France and Germany and Canada and California and back and forth and back and forth- and back and forth and back and forth. The call was untraceable. After hours and hours of watching it ping and he had to use the head, it was either that or his office chair would have to be sanitized- again.

Tony expected the second urinal from the left not to flush- that was why he never used it- he expected the third soap dispenser to jam-that was the one that everyone used- he even expected the paper towel dispenser to be empty- there was only one. However he did not expect Ziva David to be standing behind him- even though she had been in the mens restroom many times before. He should have known. Whatever she had to say he knew it wasn't good.

"Tony" She began still trying to ignore the intense urge to itch and the urge to tear his clothes off since they were completely alone, "We must have a cat" Abby was missing and she was talking about animals?

"Alright" Tony responded as he began to wash his hands "Well I vote a calico" She was not impressed. "Unless you mean we should have a chat, which is also a cat in french" She still was not impressed, finally Tony gave in, even though he had a feeling he wouldn't like what she had to say "I am all ears Ziva".

"Tony" She began again "I think that you and I should refrain from certain activities until the poisoned pine is gone" He couldn't agree more. He didn't know why he hadn't suggested that in the first place. "Also" she continued "I think we should refrain from the aforementioned activities until Abby is found."

Tony agreed. " I couldn't agree more" After all he figured they would be working non stop until then, Abby was Gibbs's favorite and with McGee acting like Gibbs, they probably wouldn't even get breaks. Tony knew it was for the best. They would find Abby no matter what it took. Ziva was right to propose that they didn't get together until she was found. It was best that way, they could be more focused that way. Ziva started to leave, Tony stopped her. "Ziva" He voiced and she stopped. " I look forward to seeing you soon" That was all he could say until Abby was found. He still wasn't ready to say "I love you" yet, and neither was she, especially after Michael Rivkin. Had he told her he was sorry yet? He didn't know but she was gone before he even thought it.

_**xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs strolled into autopsy with a purpose. He needed Ducky's opinion and he wanted to know Abby's chances and perhaps a Psychological profile, if Ducky wasn't too busy, then again, there were no bodies in autopsy. "Ducky" He called when he didn't see the medical examiner right away. "Ducky!" he called again, what if Abby's captor had captured Ducky too. After all he was in Tim's book, they all were.

"You do not have to yell Jethro" Ducky responded walking into autopsy with a steaming cup of tea. "I have to admit, I have no idea why you're down here. I have nothing for you".

"I know" Gibbs responded as he watched Ducky sit at his desk " I have something for you" Ducky looked surprised, it wasn't often that Gibbs had something for him, and he seemed to be waiting. "I'll explain on the way up" Ducky understood and followed Gibbs to the elevator.

"Is it something about our Abigail?" Ducky queried as he stepped into the elevator. Gibbs knew Ducky hadn't missed anything and it was useless to try and hide anything.

Gibbs began to explain about the mysterious phone call and the evidence they had picked up and the urgency of the case and why he had borrowed Palmer and then why he had needed Ducky, for a psychological consult and to make sure that McGee wasn't going bonkers and that he wouldn't snap at a moment's notice and since he was a doctor to make sure that Abby was alright if the person who took her let them have contact with her. Of course Ducky would not decline.

When Gibbs and Ducky reached the bullpen McGee's desk phone was ringing, and Tony and Ziva were nowhere to be found. Gibbs knew they had been seeing each other since Somalia but hadn't done anything about it because he remembered his fondness for Jenny Shepard and how he hadn't done anything about it; They seemed to be keeping it out of work but if they caused something to happen to Abby he'd transfer then both without so much as a blink of an eye.

The telephone rang three more times before Tony and Ziva returned, together, smiling. If Gibbs had anymore concrete evidence he would have fired them but he needed them to work. The smiles instantly disappeared from their faces. Tony sprinted for the stairs leaving Ziva, Ducky and Gibbs staring at the ringing phone as if it were a ticking time bomb. What would happen if they didn't answer? Gibbs didn't even want to think about that. _That_ was not an option!

"MCGeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Tony yelled flying down the stairs three at a time, hoping McGee would hear him as soon as possible "MCGeeeeeeeeeeee!" he squealed again as loud as possible.

Seven Rings later and McGee picked up the phone, trying to sound as brave as possible. He put it on speaker and everyone there, Ducky, Palmer, Ziva, Tony and Gibbs waited "McGee" he spoke, trying not to sound too out of breath.

"You kept me waiting Special Agent Timothy McGee" No one in the room breathed, what did this strange sadistic person want? "Your first question but first the rules" McGee kept his eyes on the phone and nowhere else "Rule number One: Only one person can answer the question, anyone else does and she dies. Rule Number Two: Three questions wrong and She dies. Rule Number Three: You must answer the phone in five rings or she dies." So many rules, that told Ducky this person was a control freak, perhaps some mild Obsessive Compulsive Disorder present. "Pick the one person to answer my questions. You have two minutes."

_**xxx NCIS xxx**_

Forensics Expert Abigail Sciuto listened as the mysterious bitch called McGee, her Timmy. It was taking forever for him to pick up, was he having second thoughts? Was he going to let her die? Could he be that heartless?

"McGee" he finally breathed into the phone, out of breath, but out of breath from what? Was he seeing someone else? Were they-NO! It hurt too much to think it.

The woman greeted with her usual malice then explained to rules of her sick game. Any breaking of the rules and Abby would die. A lot to look forward to, especially since no one knew the answers, not even McGee and he knew the most about her. "Pick the one person to answer my questions" The Bitch hissed "You have two minutes"

Abby knew there was no point, no one would know the answers. She was going to die, it was only a matter of time. McGee could just save his time and energy by not picking up the phone. After the strange request of the attacker all hell broke loose.

Gibbs's voice was clear over the phone "McGee" No one disputed him but then again who would go against Gibbs?

"Tony?" McGee voiced "Ziva?" He asked again "Ducky? Palmer?"Did he not want to answer the questions? Did he not want to save her? Or did he know that there was no point? "Gibbs?" It was his last resort.

Obviously no one wanted to answer the questions. They were right not to, it was useless, no one would know the answers but her, Abigail Blodwyn Sciuto. There was no point, she was going to die.

"McGee!" Gibbs barked, no give in his voice, he was quite angry, though he had a right to be, she was missing and she, Abby Sciuto, was his favorite. Then his voice got quieter. "McGee you answer those questions"

Of course it wasn't that easy. "Uh boss" McGee began, his voice quieter as well, "I-I can't do that" Did he forget that he was on speakerphone? That was just insulting "I mean what if-"

Gibbs didn't want to hear what ifs. "McGee" He responded " you answer those questions or I will fire you" As if that wasn't enough of a threat "Better yet don't answer those questions, kill Abby and I'll arrest you for murder. Is that what you want Special Agent McGee?" Yeah, Gibbs was pissed.

"Boss" McGee tried to explain but Gibbs wasn't going to hear it. The Mysterious bitch attacker laughed.

"McGee if you don't answer those questions Abby was right" Really, how often did he admit that when she wasn't working on a case? "You are softer than Marshmallows and Abby deserves to die because you don't deserve a real woman like her." Gibbs was right and yet her letter had come up again. McGee did know it was fake, right?

There was silence. Had McGee left her to die? Had they all left, realizing a forensics scientist wasn't worth their time? Abby didn't think they would give up that easily but perhaps she really didn't know her team. There was absolute silence that seemed like years. She didn't know the members on her team were that heartless. Just because she wasn't an agent of NCIS, she didn't deserve to be saved or at least try to be saved? That was Bullshit! It would have been nice of them to try even though she knew she was dead anyway. She at least deserved a fair shot before she ended up on Ducky's table, if she was that lucky. But she wasn't an agent so she'd probably end up dog food. They would never find her. That was Bullshit! She may not have been an agent or in the navy but she deserved to be saved. If they couldn't see her worth that was their problem and McGee would never ever fool her again. That is if she saw him again, and didn't kill him first. She knew she was already dead, halfway in the ground and there was no way to dig herself out.

Abby closed her eyes and waited for the never ending pain, the agony of death but the room stayed dark and the never ending agonizing silence continued. That caused the most pain. The endless wait before death. Surely it had been two minutes already.

"I am answering the questions" the voice on the other end was so powerful, full of valor, full of confidence. Was it Gibbs?

No.

Tony?

No.

Ziva?

No.

It was McGee, her Timmy, stepping up to the plate to save her, but was it only so Gibbs wouldn't fire him or arrest him, or was it for real? Did he know that the damning letter was a fake?

The bitch laughed "Very good! Very Good!" She encouraged "You've put on quite a show for Ms. Sciuto" How did she know that Abby was listening? Well there wasn't much that she didn't know thanks to Abby's journals. It was stupid not to keep it on the computer, she knew that, but now she was pissed.

"Abby's there?" McGee asked, that was the shy but optimistic McGee she knew. The McGee that she had fallen in love with years earlier.

"In a manner of speaking" The attacker spoke slimy and malice-y, sure not a word but she was sure full of enough malice for that to be a word.

"Let me speak to her" McGee pleaded, yet with so much confidence that he could give Gibbs a run for his money. "Let me know that she's alive and that you're not wasting my time."

"First my question" The bitch drove a hard bargain, but McGee had agreed to play the game, he had agreed to it all. He was the one that had left Abby alone that morning, that was his burden "Then Proof of life"

"Ask me anything" McGee challenged, Abby imagined his chest puffed out, biceps flexed, leaning over the phone glaring, ready to take on a wild bear with his bare hands, or worse Gibbs. It made her believe that she actually had a chance, that she might actually see him again.

_**xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee leaned over the phone, his sleeves rolled up, his tie in a pile on his desk, discarded long ago,sweat on his brow, thoughts of Abby's destruction in his head if he got the questions wrong. He couldn't stand the fact that he could, and probably would cause her pain. He had to be strong and save her, he couldn't let her die, he _wouldn't _ let her die.

"Ask me anything" He challenged not expecting himself to sound so menacing, so confident, so Gibbs like, so unlike himself. He had to admit he would like it a lot more if Abby wasn't missing.

"Your first question" The garbled voice came through the speakers, no one there, no one, not Tony or Ziva or Gibbs or Ducky or Palmer or McGee breathed."Your first question is what was Abby's first word?" It was a trick question and everyone there know it. This person wasn't going to pull a fast one on them.

McGee slightly smiled, he knew it was a little cocky and a lot DiNozzo like "Spoken or signed?" he asked, if the questions were that easy, Abby would be home, unharmed, by morning.

The assailant just laughed "Spoken, smart-ass" The voice growled "And for that stunt, who was the first to hear it?" Shit! Not only did he not know the first answer but both of her parents were deaf, he would have to guess both. He would indirectly hurt her again. First his book and now this! He was worse for her than Michael Mawher!

McGee knew he had to answer, knew he could and probably would hurt Abby. That was why he didn't want to answer the questions in the first place. "Abby if you're listening It's ok that you didn't take out my Garbage and I am so sorry!" He hoped she could hear him "So so sorry" she had to know. "The answer to the question is 'Brother' and to her brother. He hoped he was right.

"WRONG!" The sound of a door creaking open, then Abby's screams, and then the ominous sound of the dial tone.


	10. Interrogations and Flashbacks

I do not own NCIS, though I wish I owned McGee...sigh

I'm sorry it's been so long, School has started up again so I've got more important priorities to take care of . As always thank you for reading.

Chapter Ten

_ The medical examiner's assistant Pimmy Jalmer slinked into autopsy, hoping for a body. It had been a tough week and he needed a release, the kind of release that only a dead body could bring. After all what real woman would sleep with him?_

_ Jalmer barely breathed, the pressure sensitive doors opened with a slight hiss. He looked around, his senses heightened, he had already told the doctor he was leaving for the night. He instantly stopped, was that a body?_

_ He snuck to the body bag and slowly unzipped it as to not alert the doctor to his presence. He just hoped the body would be that of a female, the male bodies were awkward. As the body bag rolled away Jalmer stopped. He recognized the body of Amy Sutton, their forensic scientist that had gone missing._

_ Jalmer and everyone else knew her as McGregor's girl, that and they were destined to be together and get married. But Jalmer was really stressed and needed a release. _

_ Sure she was McGregor's girl but she was dead, who would she tell?_

Special Agent Timothy McGee groaned in anguish as he tore the page from his notebook and tossed it away from him. He was sitting in interrogation waiting for Gibbs. He didn't know why he was sitting in interrogation when he should be waiting for the phone to ring and the next question. He also didn't know why or how his writing had turned to utter crap. He just wanted Abby back, he just wanted to know that she was still alive and that he hadn't caused her too much pain, but he couldn't do that in interrogation.

Why had he taken Jethro on a walk that morning? Why hadn't he stayed with her and walked Jethro later? Why hadn't he come back sooner? Why hadn't he told her how he felt sooner? Why? Why? Why?

McGee started writing again, just to try and calm himself and free his doubting mind. He began to free write.

_Tomy and Lisa sat in the bullpen staring each other down. They were debating who's fault it was that Amy Sutton was missing. McGregor was on the streets searching for her so there was no one there to qualify their argument. L.J. Tibbs was no where to be found so they decided to forget about their argument and -_

McGee looked up to see Gibbs walking in, shutting the door behind him, the typical coffee in his hand. Gibbs stopped as he saw the balled up paper. McGee said nothing as Gibbs unballed it and read it, he watched embarrassed, he couldn't believe he had written it and that Gibbs was reading it. Well at least he wasn't reading it out loud.

After a few seconds Gibbs sat across from McGee. "Didn't know you felt that way about Palmer,Tim" he voiced, McGee felt his face flushing again. "but that won't happen" he sounded so sure, what if he got two more questions wrong?what if he indirectly killed her? That was why he didn't want to answer the questions in the first place, but no one would listen to him. "We will find Abby alive" Gibbs saw that McGee was still doubting himself. "We _will _ find her alive, Tim." he saw McGee look up "You just need to tell me what happened after you left NCIS on Friday"

McGee knew that was coming. He knew he would have to tell all to Gibbs eventually. He knew it was best not to lie, because Gibbs would find out and come after him and probably kill him, and how would that help Abby? It wouldn't.

Gibbs watched McGee, he knew Ducky was in observation watching him too. Gibbs knew McGee didn't have anything to do with it, his gut told him that, but he just wanted to make sure. Gibbs saw that McGee looked determined. "What happened on Friday, once you and Abby got into the elevator?" That was the magic question, wasn't it?

McGee thought back to Friday, it seemed like it was so long ago but had it really only been less than two days ago? It seemed like years and years to him. "Well" McGee began, thinking back to happier times. "I was nervous because I wanted to tell Abby how I really felt, how I really feel."

Gibbs needed McGee to be clear, just in case their investigation was questioned by internal affairs or some other agency. Gibbs wanted it done right. There was no way that the person who took Abby would go free because of a technicality, Gibbs wanted to make sure of that. "How do you feel about her, Tim?" He asked, he knew deep down that McGee was the best choice for Abby, especially since he had met some of her exs, but he wasn't going to let McGee know that. He had to be objective.

McGee knew that Gibbs might kill him, since he had broken rule 12, but he spoke anyway, he knew Gibbs had to know if they were ever to find Abby alive. "I would do anything for her. I would do anything she asked, give her anything she wanted, I would deny her nothing. I would lie for her, steal for her, even kill for her if necessary. To put it plainly, Gibbs, I love her more than air itself."

Well to be fair Gibbs did ask, and he should have expected such an answer from a fiction writer. "Ok" Gibbs went on "So you were nervous and in the elevator, what next?" He had a feeling he knew what came next, he did have four wives, but he had to ask to make sure; it was just as embarrassing for him as it was for McGee, but he was able to keep his stone face.

McGee flashed back to the elevator on Friday night. "Neither of us said anything at first, but then she stopped the elevator with the emergency switch and we talked."

Gibbs knew he had to be thorough or else the defense would tear them up "What did you two talk about?" he had to ask though he knew where it was going to lead.

McGee thought back again "We didn't talk much in the elevator" he admitted. "We decided" he paused "Well I suggested that we meet at my place, to try and make it as romantic as possible." so much for romantic, she was missing! "She agreed and we left NCIS separately."

Gibbs continued to watch McGee, he wasn't lying, then again, when did McGee ever lie, at least not on purpose. "What did you do next?" he asked, watching for any tells, there were none, McGee was just nervous.

McGee thought back to after he left the elevator, after he watched Abby get in her hearse and leave, he was behind her in his Porsche and they were stopped at the gate but that wasn't very important. "After I left the Navy yard I drove to Rosie's in Virginia to pick up a chocolate cream pie" he smiled until he remembered that they didn't get to enjoy it. "I drove 40 miles to get it because it's the only pie she'll eat and it is the best. I had to wait 20 minutes for them to bake it but it was worth the wait, it always is"

Gibbs knew Rosie's pie was the best. That was where he had met some of his previous wives, yeah wives, plural. "So what time did you get home, Tim?" he asked, the typical investigator question and McGee knew it, he knew the best way was to tell the truth. To some it would seem invasive but McGee knew it had to be done.

McGee didn't remember what time he got home. He remembered setting the pie on the small table and seeing Abby on the phone. "I don't know what time I got home. Boss" McGee admitted, "but Abby was on the phone, if you run my phone records-"

Gibbs didn't need to run his phone records, he wasn't a suspect, just a witness. "Who was on the phone, McGee?" Gibbs asked, suddenly remembering the mysterious phone calls to McGee's desk phone on that Friday night.

McGee paused "I don't know" he remembered that he didn't talk on the phone. "I hung it up" he knew it sounded bad "But I thought it was my mother." It was a valid excuse "She's been trying to set me up with a childhood friend and I-" he stopped "Oh my god! Was it the kidnapper?"

Gibbs couldn't answer him, he didn't know how to answer him, he could only continue the interview. "What happened after you hung up the phone?" the typical Gibbs stone face.

McGee breathed in deep, trying to calm himself. He immersed himself in the memories of Friday night. "I noticed she was cooking" he voiced "That was important because she hadn't cooked since we used to date years ago." he smiled at the thought of what came next "She had turned my iPod on and was listening to my Jazz." he could hear the music in his head "The phone rang again but I ignored it, thinking it was my mother again" Would everything have changed if he had just picked up the damn phone?" McGee inhaled again "We danced until the song ended and then she pushed me to relax until her dinner was ready." he sighed " When I awoke she was standing over me, looking very happy. She saw that I was awake and got skiddish" he smiled thinking of Abby skiddish, it was so unlike her. "I knew she was about to kiss me so I took the initiative and kissed her first." his spirits were lifting just as he was thinking about it "She took off my gun and badge and then she found my handcuffs" the secretive smile told Gibbs what was next. "She handcuffed me quite forcefully and wouldn't uncuff me" he was lost in thought, Gibbs cleared his throat to bring McGee back " and well one thing led to another and we- well, you know" he concluded, it was embarrassing to admit to Gibbs that he and Abby, Gibbs' favorite-

"No, I don't know McGee" Gibbs responded, it was embarrassing and he did know but he needed McGee to be clear for the investigation's sake.

McGee sighed, he was a grown man and he couldn't say the word "sex" to his boss? Then again Abby was his favorite, so that made it ten times worse. It was like telling a father that you had ravaged his unmarried daughter, not something one usually does, unless they want to die. He took a deep breath hoping that Gibbs would be nice enough not to shoot him. "After she uncuffed me, at least partly " he held up the handcuffs around his left wrist "We- I carried her to my bedroom and we-" it was do or die time, hopefully Gibbs wouldn't kill him "We had sex " he watched Gibbs for any signs of anger or rage, or a murderous glare in his eyes.

Gibbs was quite calm, especially since McGee had just admitted to breaking rule 12 with his favorite forensics scientist, who he thought of as a daughter. "Did you use protection?" he asked, the first in his new line of questions.

McGee braced himself for a head slap at the least, a brutal castration with a rusty spoon at the worst. "No Boss" he admitted, bracing himself for some sort of blow. "But Abby said that she was on the pill" In his defense she had told him that more than once during their romp.

Gibbs still remained calm "Did you two ever have sexual relations before Friday night?" he surprised himself as how calm he was about Abby and McGee being together.

McGee thought it best not to keep anything from Gibbs "yes" it was a simple answer "but it didn't really mean anything" he saw Gibbs' face "Well of course it meant something but we weren't in love love, or at least she wasn't" Gibbs' face begged for an explanation. "After tough cases, when we both were really stressed or near death, we would get together, to feel alive and needed" It was so embarrassing to admit that to Gibbs "It was usually in my car or hers and then we'd go our separate ways and never talk about it again" it hurt to talk about it, he realized how dumb it really had been, he should have just told her how he really felt.

It seemed pretty dumb to Gibbs too, if they had both obviously loved one another but didn't want to admit it , so they hid behind stupid excuses "When was the last time you two had sex?" It was weird for Gibbs too, to think about that, about his employees together, naked, in the throws of passion.

McGee didn't even have to think about it, he remembered "After Mexico, Gibbs" That would put it a few months earlier, perfect for Gibbs' time line, but that also was not so good. He knew he had to explain.

Gibbs still stayed calm. "There was some blood in your apartment and Palmer got a ping" he was unsure what that meant, it was geek speak, but he knew McGee would know.

"DNA?" McGee asked, excited, perhaps he wouldn't have to answer anymore questions and Abby wouldn't get hurt anymore. Gibbs shook his head, so much for that theory. "Then what Boss?" McGee almost couldn't contain his excitement.

"The blood contained high levels of HCG and -" Gibbs had no idea what that meant, he didn't major in anything at college, he didn't even go to college.

"She's-No she can't be!" McGee exclaimed. His Geek mind had to work it out "High levels of Human Chorionic Gonadotropins means that-" he paused and gasped "Oh my God!" what would he do? What would they do? What would happen after he saved her? What if he couldn't save her? What would he do? What could he do? "She's pregnant!" Now he didn't just have to save her,but their unborn child as well! He suddenly felt the urge to laugh, to scream, to cry, to sing, but most of all the urge to faint. She would kill him, or worse castrate him.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo sat at McGee's desk. He was on phone duty, if it rang, he ran for McGee. It had been two hours since the last call and Tony had resorted to playing Tetris to keep himself occupied. Ziva watched him from her desk. Both were resisting the urge to itch, but mostly failing. Tetris was ten times tougher than it usually was. The bullpen was absolutely silent.

Tony watched as Gibbs walked into the bullpen and to his desk, McGee slumped behind him looking somewhere between a mixture of pain, determination, fear, and happiness. There was no way that Tony could give it just one name. So what the hell had happened in interrogation?

McGee approached Tony, now looking annoyed. "Get out of my chair, Tony" he voiced, he wasn't going to take no for an answer. Tony knew to get up. McGee was becoming more and more like Gibbs everyday. Tony did not want to receive a head slap, or worse from his probie, so he got up and went to his own desk.

McGee sat down at his own desk and pulled out his notebook again and continued to try and write. His mind was spinning in circles.

_His deepest love was missing. His only love was missing, taken away by the hand of fate. He knew he had to save her, to tell her that he knew her deepest darkest secret and that he loved her all the more for it. That when other men would run he would stand up and face it and love her for the rest of their lives. He knew that nothing, absolutely nothing would tear them apart, but first he had to find her and save her from the sick sadistic stranger that had taken her from the safety of his apartment. Once he found them, the sick person who stole her away from him, he would kill them. Whatever it took to get her back but first he had to answer those damned questions. If only it were that easy._

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Forensics Goddess Abigail Sciuto had not moved in hours. She had lost all track of time. Was it morning? Was it night? How long had it been since she'd last seen McGee? How long since she last heard his voice? She had absolutely no sense of time. All she knew was that the fresh cuts on her face burned and her head throbbed from the pressure and the pain.

She heard the footsteps again but those were different. They were heavier, larger, they belonged to a man. She was about to cry out, about to rattle her chains but something told her to stay silent. That he wasn't a man to come and help her. She stayed silent, praying that he would just pass her by. If only she was so lucky.

**Hi, Guys. As you know the captor is asking questions. Would you guys happen to have any that you think they should ask? Also, can you guys think of any songs that sum up Abby and McGee really well, how about some that he could sing to her? PM me if you have any suggestions. Thanks. Robin's chick.**


	11. Drugged, Loved and Pained

I do not own NCIS...Though I wish I owned McGee...sigh

Again school is in full swing now so I might not update. By the way I have this story written out farther than I've typed. I'm just lazy like that.

Chapter Eleven

Medical Examiner Donald Mallard walked into the bullpen to make sure that McGee was handling himself alright. It was late, way past closing time, though none of Gibbs' team had left, they were all deep in their tasks. McGee was practically staring at the telephone. Tony and Ziva were too engrossed in their tasks to even think about scratch. McGee barely even seemed to breathe.

No one seemed to notice Ducky's entrance. Not even Gibbs and nothing usually got past him. "Hey Duck" Ducky was correct, nothing got past Gibbs. "I have to ask you something." That surprised Ducky, he usually just asked.

"Very well Jethro" Ducky responded, even he knew that no one went against Gibbs, that was the unspoken, unwritten, unofficial rule 53. He followed Gibbs into the elevator. They had used the elevator as an office before and it didn't stop them then.

Once the elevator was stopped by the emergency switch, Gibbs spoke. "McGee hasn't talked since I told him about Abby. Is that normal, Duck?"

Ducky thought about it, it wasn't that unusual, everyone handled grief in different ways. "Nothing is normal with kidnappings, Jethro." Ducky explained "Especially when someone is close to the victim or when the victim is close to someone not kidnapped." Ducky was trying not to go off on a tangent, like he so often did.

Gibbs understood, he remembered when he had lost Shannon and Kelly. He wouldn't let McGee go through the same hell. "Can you tell me anything about her captor?" Any leads would help, anything at all.

Ducky paused, thinking about the brief encounter that he'd witnessed between McGee and Abby's captor. "In my opinion Jethro" Ducky began again "This person is in the destruction phase, the last phase of the three phases of obsession" He thought more about what he had heard "I imagine at first this person tried to just talk to Timothy or send him letters. Then this person became obsessed, but Timothy did not return the attention so he person moved to the destruction phase. This person wanted to get Timothy's attention any way they could."

"So this bastard took Abby to get back at Tim?" Gibbs asked, it made sense, after all someone had come after Abby before, though that was because of McGee's book.

"Yes, it appears so Jethro" Ducky spoke "Also something yo should know about our mysterious stalker" He added remembering the brief conversation "Because of the rules they set I am inclined to this person is very detail oriented, very sure of their actions." Gibbs was unsure what Ducky was trying to explain. "If this person says that they will hurt Abigail, they will indeed hurt Abigail. They will follow their rules to the letter."

Gibbs paused, he didn't doubt that the sick bastard would hurt Abby. He knew she was in danger, that was the risk of working at NCIS and apparently dating a top novelist, especially Thom E. Gemcity. "So McGee shouldn't get any answers wrong" Gibbs answered, but he already knew that "I'll let McGee know" He didn't mean to sound sarcastic, it just came out that way.

Ducky let the sarcasm slide "Yes, Jethro, that would be the best" He paused as he realized "If this person thinks that Abby has more hold over Timothy than they do, they will do whatever it takes to break that hold, by whatever means necessary. There is no limit to which they will go." he made another realization. "This has the allusion of a jealous wife and her cheating husband."

Gibbs knew that all too well, he had after all had four wives. "Well let's bring this bastard in as soon as possible."

Ducky cleared his throat "Actually Jethro, from my findings, I suggest that it is no bastard you are looking for but someone of the female persuasion." So not a bastard, but a bitch.

"Thanks Duck" Gibbs responded as he reached for the switch. The elevator roared to life, the doors opened to reveal Tony and Ziva listening, McGee was still at his desk in a daze. Gibbs didn't get angry or annoyed. "Good you're here" Tony and Ziva looked to each other confused. "Ziva go over McGee's past focusing on his exs. Tony, I want McGee's and Abby's phone records. Then when you're done with that go to Abby's apartment and get everything, and I mean everything." Even Ducky was unsure what was going on. "Set it up in the garage,exactly as it is there" That wasn't so crazy. "McGee needs to start-"

Gibbs was cut off by a ringing phone, McGee's ringing phone. They all darted back to the bullpen and surrounded McGee's desk as he put the phone on speakerphone.

"McGee" He spoke, just as nervous as ever. The support of his co workers all but forgotten. None of them could answer the questions or Abby would die. He just wanted it all to be over. He just wanted Abby back in his arms again,safe and sound.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Forensics Scientist Abigail Sciuto knew there was someone else in the darkness. Was it the Man? She felt one of her arms being uncuffed and then something sharp inserted into her brachial artery. She knew she was being drugged.

Her head swam but she still felt and heard everything around her. She felt the man return her arm to the chains above her head. She felt him on her and later heard him leave, then she heard her captor and McGee. She clung to McGee's voice to keep herself grounded, if she didn't she felt she would float away and never return.

"McGee" He spoke, still nervous, but when was he not nervous, that made him who he was, that made him truly McGee. That made him her Timmy, her Timmy McGee.

The voice changer whined as her captor inhaled forcefully "Are you ready for your second question, Special Agent Timothy Sean McGee?" She paused "Or are you ready to give up and let her die?"

There wasn't even a pause on the other end. "I will never ever give up on her!" McGee shouted, that was her Timmy, sometimes nervous but so determined when it counts. "I will not let her die! Not now, Not ever!" That was her Timmy, so steadfast and true "Ask me one question, ask me a million questions, I will save her!" Did someone put courage juice in his coffee this morning?

The captor laughed, that was exactly what she wanted, but how to make him see he was chasing the wrong girl? "Your question, Special Agent Timothy McGee" so much malice in her voice. Abby could just see McGee, in her head, pumped for the next question. "What has been the first item on Abigail's Christmas list since she was seven years old?" Abby closed her eyes to the endless darkness. McGee had to know that didn't he? They'd spent so many Christmases together but had she shown him her Christmas list? Shit! She hadn't! Of course she knew the answer, but did McGee?

It was do or die time. Abby could hear McGee inhale from her dungeon and she held her breath. She held her breath for so long that her head swam even more than before. "The answer is" he paused, over taken by nervousness "Black Nail polish" A total guess, everyone knew that, Even McGee knew it was wrong but he had to guess.

"WRONG!" the voice changer squealed in absolute agony, like it had never been in so much pain before. Even Abby clenched her eyes shut in agony. Her captor would hang up the phone and McGee would be lost. "One more question and she's dead Special Agent McGee" she was teasing him, teasing her Timmy! That was not allowed!

"GOD DAMN IT!" She heard McGee shout so Valiant, so true before the phone cut out and the door to her dungeon creaked open, her captor wielding a very sharp scalpel again.

**Hi, Guys. As you know the captor is asking questions. Would you guys happen to have any that you think they should ask? Also, can you guys think of any songs that sum up Abby and McGee really well, how about some that he could sing to her? PM me if you have any suggestions. ****Thanks. Robin's chick.**


	12. I see you

I do not own NCIS...Though I wish I owned McGee...sigh

Again school is in full swing now so I might not update very often. By the way I have this story written out farther than I've typed. I'm just lazy like that.

Chapter Twelve

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo slumped into the bullpen more tired than he had ever been in his life. He had spent the last few hours setting up the evidence garage to look just like Abby's apartment, coffin and all. It had taken hours and hours but he and the garage techs had finally gotten it exactly right. He watched Ziva and McGee asleep at their desks, he thought they were lucky, he had never wanted to sleep more in his entire life, but they had to find Abby and in order to do that she had to stay alive and to keep her alive McGee needed to answer the questions right and to do that he needed clues, where else could he get those besides her apartment, or at least a mock up of her apartment.

"McGee" Tony whispered, he was too tired to come up with a witty McNickname. "McGee, come on, wake up" he shook McGee's shoulder and heard the jangle of the handcuffs. That made him smile, even in his delirious sleep deprived state.

"What time is it?" McGee mumbled as he sat up, a piece of lined paper stuck to his cheek, thanks to the prescription that Ducky had given him. Tony would have laughed if he wasn't so drained.

"It's 3:26" Tony blinked at his watch "No, 3:27 am" he pulled McGee off of his chair "Come on, I've got something to show you."

McGee sighed, another night that he hadn't slept all the way through. It was starting to become a habit. He followed Tony anyway, he knew he wasn't going back to sleep, especially not at his desk. He was utterly aghast at what he saw.

In the evidence garage an exact replica of Abby's apartment was set up, right down to the paintings on the walls and the books on her small bookshelf. McGee knew it must've taken hours. He felt as though he was actually in Abby's apartment except for the fact that the walls were pink plywood. Abby would never have pink walls, that would be a sign of the apocalypse.

"Have at it, McGee" Tony told him, leading him to the front door. "You can't get another question wrong"

"You don't think I know that, Tony?" McGee responded, his eyes scanned the mock apartment "I can't think about anything else!" He sighed "What if I kill her, Tony? What if I answer the next question wrong and they kill her?"

Tony knew that answer. Gibbs would kill him and then kill the bastard that took Abby. Of course Tony didn't say that. "Well, let's not get the next question wrong" he voiced "I'll take the bookshelf"

_**xxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs walked into the evidence garage, Michael Mawher in tow, he didn't like it but McGee needed answers fast and Mawher had known Abby before he had. As much as Gibbs hated to admit it, Mawher was their best bet. He found his agents on Abby's couch, black velvet, quizzing each other on Abby, well DiNozzo was quizzing McGee. DiNozzo was asking Abby's favorite color.

"He's gonna ask harder questions than her favorite color, DiNozzo" Gibbs spoke. Both of his agents looked up and immediately tensed at the sight of Michael Mawher.

"Boss" McGee questioned "What is he doing here?" he sounded slightly scary and paranoid,but he was afraid that Mawher's presence would hinder them, after all it was what had hindered them the last time that he had tried to help.

"He's here to help" Gibbs responded, those four words were not McGee's favorite but no one questioned Gibbs. Gibbs knew McGee didn't like it. "We need her alive McGee, You have to get that question right"

McGee knew that, everyone had been telling him that in the past few hours, but he had no idea where Abby's captor was getting the questions from or how they knew so much about Abby. As much as he hated to admit it, maybe Michael Mawher could help, though he wouldn't admit that out loud. "I know, Gibbs" he answered, "I know that better than anyone"

"Then it's settled" Gibbs concluded as he looked around the mock up of Abby's apartment for any clues that could help McGee save Abby. "DiNozzo-" he was about to tell him to make sure that McGee didn't kill Mawher, but was cut off.

"Is everything exactly how it was in Abby's apartment?" Mawher asked as he sulked around the bookshelf, his guylinered eyes focusing on the empty space of about four books on the bookshelf. The empty space that McGee and DiNozzo had argued about for the first few minutes that they had searched.

"Yes" DiNozzo responded "Painstakingly so, right down to the tipped over books and the dirty dishes in the sink" it had taken him hours and hours to figure out exactly where everything went.

That was not the answer that Mawher wanted to hear, he rushed to the mock bedroom and started going through the bedside table, then he rushed back to the bookshelf. The agents all looked to each other, not having any answers for the Gothic man's strange behavior. Finally after a few more seconds Mawher explained "All five of Abby's journals are missing"

Five? McGee, Tony and Gibbs all looked at each other confused, shocked and more shocked. Five? There would be no end to the questions that the captor could ask. Five. If McGee didn't get the next question right it all wouldn't matter.

"Tell me everything you know about Abby" McGee voiced, he was still suspicious of Mawher, but he knew hostility would get him nowhere. He had to at least be civil, for Abby.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Forensics expert Abigail Sciuto hadn't slept a wink all night. She knew it was from the cocktail of drugs the strange man had given her, she could tell it was a cocktail by the way it made her feel, and of course her forensics background. She knew her captor wanted her that way, awake, paranoid, stressed. As if she could sleep the way that her hands were bound. She wasn't even sure if she would regain feeling in her arms, she thought the pain would never go away.

Her mind whirred as she heard footsteps. Two pairs, a man, the same man as before?, and of course, her captor. Were they going to open the door? No, of course not. She could hear their conversation, their two voices so distinct, so memorable.

"I don't want to do this" It was the male, though he seemed anxious, nervous, not what Abby figured at all.

"You will do this!" The female, no trace of anxiety, just anger, she had no fear in her voice, she meant business "You will do this, Dylan, or I will tell the cops that this was all your idea and you'll rot in prison" She really was a bitch!

So his name was Dylan, but what was her name? " I thought we weren't using names" he voiced, obviously nervous, suddenly another thought popped into his head, "What if he doesn't get the next question right?" he spoke in barely a whisper, "I'm not going to give up my chances at med school" so he was trying to get into med school?

"Nothing to worry about" her captor voiced, quieter than before, "We're not going to kill her" Well that was a pleasant surprise! "We'll just make her suffer until her heart gives out" Abby expected an evil laugh but none came-then again it was so cliché. "Then Thom E. Gemcity will be all mine!"

"Wait! Wait!" the male responded "This is all about that damn crime author, Thom E. Gemcity?" he wasn't pleased, "I'm giving up med school for a damn author?" he absolutely wasn't pleased. He stormed out.

Her captor let out a terrifying, angry, agonizing scream. Abby knew her life was more in danger that five minutes previous. She knew that from the absence of other people that she was far away from civilization and that there was no one there to stop her captor from hurting her again. Abby knew she needed to get McGee some help in saving her but how?

_**xxxNCISxxx**_

**Ring. **Special Agent Ziva David ran to pull the fire alarm, it was the quickest way to alert the team that the phone was ringing. **Ring. **Special Agent Timothy McGee ran up the stairs from the garage, three at a time, the elevator would take too long. **Ring. ** It was six in the morning and no one else but the team was in the building. **Ring. **McGee had reached the bullpen panting. **Ri-**

"McGee!" He panted as he practically fell into his office chair, about to pass out, but he knew he had to answer the questions, he had to save Abby.

"Am I not your first priority, Special Agent Timothy Sean McGee?" the malice was still there, if not increased tenfold. She was pissed obviously.

"No" McGee voiced, his courage increased tenfold as well. As far as he knew he had all the answers and he _would _ save Abby, "Abby is my first priority!" He hoped she was listening, he hoped she knew that he would do anything for her.

The captor just laughed, an evil, evil laugh. "For your cockiness, Two questions" The team all looked at each other shocked, "Answer both correct or I kill her and make you listen."

Shit! What had he done? He couldn't let her die. He had to show no fear, he had to be confident, show he was the alpha male. "And what if I get them both right?" He had to know.

"First Question" The captor was in a take no prisoners mood "What was the first class that Abby ever failed?"

Was that the best question they could come up with? McGee had learned the answer to that one hours ago. "It was second grade science" he spoke, confidence radiating from every pore in his body "Because of her teacher, Mrs. Moore was a snore-fest."

There was almost no pause "Second Question" Abby's captor was angry, she didn't like that McGee now had the upper hand. "Abby had a pet as a child. What was it's name?"

What was with the easy questions all of a sudden? McGee could answer that one in his sleep. Abby had told him that answer herself. McGee just smiled, the captor thought that she could trip him up. "Bubba, a coon hound, "The best damn coon hound in Jackson Parrish" Abby's own words "Or Maybe you were talking about Herman the tortoise?" Either way he knew and her captor knew that he was right.

There was silence on the other end. Had her captor not heard him? He had gotten both right, hadn't he? Hadn't He?

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Forensics Goddess Abigail Sciuto heard the door open and was blinded by the light. Though that time it seemed there was more light. She could barely even open her eyes, though after the night she'd had that was a good thing.

There was a distinct click that Abby could recognize anywhere at anytime. Was there a computer in that hell of a room? She heard her captor's voice but who was she talking to? "You have five minutes" she voiced "Tell Special Agent McGee anything that I don't like and I hurt you" What was with the sadist and pain. Abby flinched as the duct tape was ripped painfully away from her mouth.

Wait! Did her captor say McGee? Abby opened her eyes to see her captor in a Reagan Mask and McGee and the background of his desk on a small computer screen a few feet away. He was a sight for sore eyes! "McGee!" she exclaimed, she would have hugged him if she could, "You're ok!" She stopped, that wasn't exactly true. "You look like shit" She wasn't being hurtful, just truthful.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee just smiled, he had always liked that Abby was truthful, that was one of the many reasons why he had fallen in love with her. "And you look beautiful".

She was chained, her arms above her head, painful he imagined. She was wearing one of his MIT shirts and a pair of his plaid boxers, blue, and at that time his favorite pair. There were cuts of all different shapes and sizes on her perfectly beautiful face and one of her eyes was swollen shut. Her hair was cut off, laying all around her feet, what remained on her head was way too short for her usual pigtails but he felt she was still beautiful, behind all of the damage that was his fault. He would never forgive himself, even if he saved her.

"What is my number one rule, McGee?" Abby responded, it didn't matter that she was held captive, or that she could die, she still didn't want to be lied to.

McGee saw the scalpel at her throat and he didn't want to argue with her, especially if they only had five minutes. "Abby, what did you mean when you said that I was ok?" He had to know, did she not get his note, explaining that he was going to walk Jethro? Why would she expect him not to be ok?

Abby didn't waste any time. "She said you were indisposed and I thought that she meant that you were dead" That explained at least part of the mystery "I thought that if I-"

McGee knew that their time was slowly dwindling down, he knew that he had to tell her before time ran out. "Garbage, Abby" he spoke, interrupting her, he knew she had to know that he understood, that he had received her message in the "dear John" letter.

"No, really, Tim" Abby misunderstood, she thought he didn't believe her. "She told me that you were indisposed. What else was I supposed to-"

Again he tried to get the message to her, he knew her captor would go ape-shit if she found out what he was really trying to say. "No, Abby, _Garbage_" He knew it wasn't exactly smooth, but she had to know. "What does she want, Abby?" He asked next, he had to know how else he could save her once the questions ran out, right? His eyes moved to Abby's captor, hoping that his question wouldn't get Abby killed.

Her captor just stayed still. "I told you what I wanted, Special Agent Timothy McGee" her voice garbled by the voice changer "I want to play a game and we're playing now" if she had her way he would never get Abby back, he knew that. "The only winner of this game will be me!" she was quite angry that McGee had challenged her.

Abby knew she had to get some message out to McGee, he had to know what her captivity was all about. Maybe if she was lucky it would lead to her whereabouts. She knew she was risking her life but she would rather risk her life than watch McGee suffer any longer. "She wants Thom!" she yelled. Her captor rushed for the camera and it went dark, The last thing McGee heard was Abby's pained scream.

**Hi, Guys. As you know the captor is asking questions. Would you guys happen to have any that you think they should ask? Also, can you guys think of any songs that sum up Abby and McGee really well, how about some that he could sing to her? PM me if you have any suggestions.**


	13. Blood And Rage

I do not own NCIS.. Though I wish I owned McGee...sigh

School is in full swing, so updates could be less frequent, but I will try. By the way I've written up to chapter 27. I'm just too lazy to type it all out. I'm going to do my best to try and do two chapters a week, if time permits. Wish me luck!

Chapter Thirteen

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo looked around the silent bullpen at his stunned co workers after the strained video chat with Abby and her captor. He knew that he shouldn't say anything but, as usual, he couldn't stop himself, "Did you see that chick?" silence, "She was smokin'!" Ziva didn't say anything, she just had the same look on her face, of shock and awe. McGee was silent, pure determination etched on his face. Tony knew he had to try and shake his co workers out of their gloom, that was his self appointed job. "Man!" he exclaimed "McSexAppeal gets all the ladies!" It was supposed to make them all laugh. Tony had seen McGee's past girlfriends and he could count the decent ones on one hand, with one finger. No one laughed.

Before Tony knew it he was on the floor, his face throbbing, the smell of blood in the air. McGee was standing over him, the glaze of anger in his eyes, his hand still curled into a fist. Tony blinked a few times, dazed, and McGee was gone. So he wasn't so macho after all, he was still Tony's probie, and always would be.

Tony blinked a few more times and Ziva was standing over him, the smile not on her lips but in her eyes. "You know you deserved it, Tony" Was all she spoke before she walked away. She wasn't even going to help him up.

He sat up and saw her walk into the men's restroom for the countless time in six years.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Forensics Expert Abigail Sciuto still had not slept. She could feel more bruises forming on her tender, pale skin, but they were worth it, or so she hoped. McGee had received her message, right? HE knew that her crazy captor wanted his alter ego Thom E. Gemcity, right?

The door opened and Abby was blinded by the light, she knew that someone was coming in. The intensity of the footsteps told her that it was the male. Even after the door shut and they were plunged into darkness he still walked with confidence. Night Vision Goggles! He uncuffed her arm and Abby knew that he had another syringe filled with the drugs. She tried to remain calm but she had always hated needles. She closed her eyes choosing the outlook that if she couldn't see it it wasn't there, or in her case if she pretended it wasn't there it wasn't, if only it was that easy. The needle never came.

The male began talking "My name's Dylan" that was strange, since when did captor introduce themselves? "And you are Abigail Sciuto, but everyone calls you Abby" So he did his research too. "I'll try to be gentle" Then came the needle and Abby felt every cell in her body speed up from the drugs, from her knowledge probably uppers, something that would not let her sleep. Her captor wanted her awake for every minute of her torture. "I'm sorry about her" The female captor? "She's not going to make this a picnic for you" That was already blatantly obvious, but Abby knew she was getting more clues for when she saw McGee again.

She knew she'd see him again, he had to get the questions right. He just had to, Right? He had proved her wrong. She had thought that no one knew those answers and yet he had started to get them right. But her captor was right, how long until McGee was worn down and bored with the questions?

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee stared into the dingy bathroom mirror in the men's restroom, a scary glare in his eyes, less human, more monster, DiNozzo's blood still on his hand. What had he done to his co worker? And yet it felt so good, so empowering! He could barely inhale and yet he felt so powerful!

He felt so powerful, so virile, until the door opened and he practically jumped out of his skin. He expected DiNozzo but it was just Ziva. He didn't know if her appearance should calm him or send him running in fear for his life. McGee avoided her eyes, probably glaring at him with her signature death glare.

McGee prepared himself for some sort of blow, but none came. "I am not going to hurt you McGee" Ziva spoke, that was a relief! "He deserved it" was she trying to make him feel better? If she was it wasn't working. Ziva saw that. "Do not worry McGee" she continued after seeing the pained look on his face "We will find her alive"

McGee sighed "What if I get more questions wrong?" A million thoughts flashed through his head "What if her captor gets bored with these questions and kills Abby? What if we don't find her alive?" he couldn't stop the tears and that embarrassed him in front of Ziva, who he had never seen shed a tear "I know you're probably going to tell me that in Mossad if an operative sheds tears they lose an appendage-"

"Actually" Ziva corrected "In Mossad, if an operative shed tears they are exposed of" She purposely got that one wrong, to try and make McGee feel better.

"It's "disposed of", Ziva" McGee mumbled, it wasn't making him feel any better.

"In Mossad, yes" Ziva responded, "But we are at NCIS, not Mossad. And we will find Abby, but you must get back to your phone. Tony and Gibbs and I can handle the other matters but only you can answer the phone. Abby needs you to do that. Abby needs you just the way you are."

_**xxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs sped into autopsy. He found Ducky at his desk with a large pot of tea. He didn't even have to say anything, Ducky already knew he was there.

"Jethro!" Ducky exclaimed "Would you like a cup of tea?" He should have known better than to ask. Gibbs mainlined strong coffee, not weak watered down tea.

"Nope, Duck" Gibbs responded, he'd come down to autopsy for a reason. "What can you tell me about what you saw from the video feed thingy?" Straight to the point.

Ducky set down his tea cup gingerly and turned to face Gibbs "You may want to sit down Jethro" Advice that Gibbs would not take, Ducky knew just to continue "From what I saw and heard, I believe that her captor has drugged her in low doses. Something to keep her awake and most definitely uncomfortable." Gibbs didn't like what he heard, Ducky knew that "Something most likely in the amphetamine family, easy to get addicted to and quite difficult to drop".

Gibbs was angry, sure, but he tried to keep his level head "What about the cuts on her face and neck, Duck?" he had to pull himself away from his closeness to Abby, if he wanted to find her and not go crazy with anger.

"From what I can tell" Ducky responded "All were non fatal though quite painfully deep. I would say without a doubt that your captor has some knowledge of anatomy" Just like Ari did!

That would help Gibbs and his team. He started to leave "Thanks Duck."

Ducky stopped him "Jethro, there's more" Gibbs promptly turned around and faced Ducky again. "From what Abby has so graciously told us, our kidnapper is not obsessed with Timothy McGee but Thom E. Gemcity"

"I already knew that Duck" Gibbs responded "But while I'm here how's Tim doing?" He took a swig of his coffee.

"Well young Timothy seems to be exhibiting some of your traits, Jethro." Ducky voiced, "He's become withdrawn, violent and wants to find Abby at all costs" Then again who didn't want to find Abby? "He would do anything to protect her, Jethro, and that is not an exaggeration" He took a sip of his piping hot tea "He's a lot like you were after Shannon and Kelly."

Gibbs didn't respond, it still hurt him to think about his first wife and daughter. He'd heard all of what he wanted to hear, he knew what he needed to find the kidnapper and Abby. "Where is Tim now?" He asked, he knew well where he was, or where he should be, but he wanted to get Ducky off of the subject of his long dead wife and daughter.

"I imagine he's at his desk" Ducky spoke, he knew Gibbs knew that,but it did feel good to be needed, since there were no bodies in autopsy and Jimmy Palmer was doing forensics work "Or perhaps in young Abigail's mock apartment."

Gibbs noticed the slight melancholy in Ducky's voice. "Why don't you come up and sit at my desk? I don't want any of my team to be alone, especially since we're all in Tim's book."

**Hi, Guys. As you know the captor is asking questions. Would you guys happen to have any that you think they should ask? Also, can you guys think of any songs that sum up Abby and McGee really well, how about some that he could sing to her? PM me if you have any suggestions.**


	14. Ring Ring Noooo!

I do not own NCIS, though I wish I owned McGee...sigh

I hope you all are enjoying my little story so far! Please R&R! Thanks!

Chapter Fourteen

Special Agent Timothy McGee sat at his desk, his paper in front of him tattooed with the scribbles of black ink. If Abby's captor had taken Abby because of Thom E. Gemcity he wanted to make sure she was protected too. He'd been trying to find her another identity, as Thom's girlfriend, but he was having no luck. He knew not to ask Ziva and he knew Tony would talk to him after the blood he'd shed.

Tony was staring at his computer screen, sullen, brooding over his nose being broken again. He was turned away from McGee, he didn't even want to see him. McGee knew not to even ask. None of them spoke, they waited for Gibbs to return.

All three turned to the elevator when they heard it ding it's arrival. Gibbs stormed in, Ducky behind him. Gibbs was annoyed, Ducky was thrilled to be upstairs. "DiNozzo, get me a search of medical personnel now!" he didn't even look at him "David, you're with me, McGee's publishers" he didn't look at her either. "McGee" He looked at him "You don't let Abby die" It was somewhat comforting, in a way, to McGee, as strange as it sounded.

No one moved.

"Are you all waiting for an invitation?" Gibbs spouted, the anger increasing in his voice, that was enough to get them moving.

"Uhb Oss" Tony sounded, McGee had broken his nose "Do you buant meb toe-"

Gibbs turned to face him "Holy Hell, DiNozzo! What the hell happened?" He was tempted to laugh but didn't , with the severity of the situation. He had a feeling that DiNozzo's mouth had gotten him in trouble again "You know what? I don't care, get me that search" Then he headed for the elevator forcing Ziva to sprint after him. The bullpen was silent again, except for the clicking of keyboard keys.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Forensics Expert Abigail Sciuto could feel the shadows watching her, she could hear the walls breathing. She couldn't see anything but she knew the wind was feeling her up. She wanted to scream but she wouldn't give her kidnapper that satisfaction. She would stay strong, she had to believe in McGee.

How long had it been since she'd seen McGee? She'd seen him on video chat a few hours ago, or was it days ago? Abby wasn't sure, but how long had it been since she had seen him in person? Touched him? Kissed him? Loved him? All she knew was it had been way too long.

She could not die until she saw him again, in person. She made that promise to herself, though it would take everything she possessed. She could hear the footsteps of her captors and she prepared herself for their entry. No matter what they did she would stand strong, she would see McGee again, not matter what it took.

The white fire in the blackness blinded her. The terrible shadow she knew as her captor stormed in, the terrible scalpel still dripped with her blood, Abby's blood, in her hands. Abby would still not back down or give up.

"What do you want me to do?" Abby could not stand the silence and broke down in the darkness. Where no one could see her. She had to see McGee. Abby was answered by silence, That scared her even more.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs stormed into McGee's publisher's office. He wasn't going to let Todd, her assistant tell him no, there was too much on the line. Ziva followed him, the same ire in her eyes as well.

McGee's publisher just looked up from her desk nonchalantly. She had no idea what had happened "Ah Mr. Gibbs, what can I do for you?" The sickly sweet tone that under normal circumstances would drive Gibbs crazy, with the present situation he couldn't help but reach for his sig.

Ziva could see that Gibbs was fuming so she took the lead. "We need to know how any of Thom E. Gemcity's fans could learn about his personal life. " she spoke as calm as possible, she also could not stand to lose Abby. "We will also need any fan mail that stands out."

McGee's publisher, Crawshaw, just blinked, as if Ziva and Gibbs were telling her the weather, not requesting personal information. "May I ask what this is all about?" she voiced after a few seconds of silence, a few seconds between her obliviousness and her near death experience with Gibbs' sig.

Gibbs finally spoke "This is about the safety of my people, Ms. Crawshaw. Don't make me ask again." she should have known not to cross him when he was on a mission and angry to boot. "Tell me how and why someone would find out about my agents personal lives."

Crawshaw instantly stiffened, "Well there's always the bio at the end of the book but that doesn't give out much information. Of course there's the internet." she paused, "Though Timothy is currently on a hiatus with us. So I suppose some of his fans could and would do anything to read more of his work."

That was part of a lead "Who would know that Tim was on a hiatus?"Gibbs asked, a little bit calmer, though not much. The lead could lead to Abby.

Crawshaw laughed "Whoever follows him on Twitter or any of the other networking sites. We update all of our authors' statuses." Great! Just Great! An even bigger suspect pool! Hopefully DiNozzo would have more luck. Gibbs knew that no matter what he would find the bitch and make her pay for Abby's pain.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee sat at his desk alone. DiNozzo had gone to the head to change his bandage again, though he had not said a word, to either McGee or Ducky. McGee still hadn't found a suitable nom de plume for Abby and it was driving him crazy, He had to protect her!

"I can feel you staring, Ducky" he spoke out loud, he could feel the doctor watching him and it made him feel, what was the word Abby liked to use?-Hinky. "There's nothing else I can do" It was true, he couldn't go out and look for evidence or follow leads. He was tethered to the phone.

Ducky remained silent, a very unusual event for the medical examiner, he usually always had an anecdote or an entomology lesson. Finally he spoke, "There is nothing anyone expects you to do" He clarified "You know-"

"Ducky, please do not try to shrink my head" McGee responded, he knew where the doctor was going and he was in no mood for it. "I just want Abby back safe and sound. Is that so crazy?"

Ducky knew he shouldn't tell McGee the statistics of kidnappings and murders, he knew he probably already knew them after working for years with Jethro and Anthony, but he couldn't stop himself. "I am sure our Abigail is more resilient than we give her credit for" He voiced, "And I am sure with your support, she will be fine." So much for kidnapping and murder statistics. "And that is in no way crazy Timothy." He added.

McGee groaned "But Ducky, I got her into this mess because I wrote that stupid book!" He was really beginning to figure out that being an author isn't all it's cracked up to be "If I hadn't-"The phone rang. McGee instantly picked it up. "McGee!" he spoke, just as nervous as he had always been.

"McGee, It's Palmer." So it wasn't Abby's captor. "I've got test results down here, You've got to come now." Palmer didn't need to tell him that, he knew he should get down there as soon as possible.

McGee sighed a sigh of relief, then he realized, "Palmer! Get off this line!" He practically growled. Then he hung up angrily as he slammed the receiver down.

McGee knew he couldn't leave his phone unattended, but he needed to see those test results and any forensics results that had come form his apartment. He would have sent Ducky down but he wanted to hear the results himself. He couldn't go down by himself because that would poke holes in the validity of the investigation. When he thought about it, Abby's captor most likely would not call. There were always several hours between questions and the last had been only three ours earlier, that morning. He could head down to Abby's lab, hear the results and be back up before her captor even thought to call. He took Ducky with him, since he could not go alone, and he couldn't leave Ducky alone in the Bullpen.

The lab was silent when McGee and Ducky entered. Palmer hadn't turned the music on out of respect for the somber circumstances. He stood at Abby's computer, but he was no substitute for the forensics goddess herself. He didn't even do the usual Abby bounce when they arrived. Then again he was no Abby.

"The secret ingredient in Grammy Sciuto's better than sex sauce is oysters" No guessing games, no "Guess what!" Just the information, and information that McGee already knew. Disappointing!

"Yeah, Palmer" McGee responded, "I already knew that. It's called better than sex sauce for more reasons than just it's taste." Palmer was definitely no Abby. "Tell me about the blood. Was it Abby's?" He could tell that Palmer needed the prodding, he was no forensics expert.

"Yes" Palmer responded, still no surprise or fun at all in his answer. So Abby was pregnant after all. McGee had even more reason to save her. "But there's more," That was unexpected. McGee didn't even have to ask or play any of the usual guessing games. "There were traces of a sedative on one of the dish rags that Tony collected, it can only be ordered in bulk." So they were looking for a doctor, but McGee had already figured that out since Abby had yet to bleed out from any of her wounds. Palmer saw the expectation on McGee's face. "That's all I've got for you" Palmer was definitely no Abby, he had no tact like she did. McGee wanted her back.

"Thanks Palmer" McGee voiced a little depressed, at least he hoped that there would be some lead to go off of, but Abby was pregnant, he knew that for sure now. So the trip wasn't totally worthless, just a little redundant.

The baby had to be his right? He didn't think she was sleeping with anyone else or at least they didn't talk about it, they didn't talk much when they got together that way. It was always easier at work the next day. It was simple backseat sex, nothing more, but he had always wanted it to be more, he always pretended it was more. To pretend that she was his and only his for just those few sensual moments in his Porsche, though mostly in her hearse. What did it matter if her baby was his? He'd raise it as if it were his own, if Abby would let him. She was so independent and that's what he loved about her, one of the many things he loved about her. He couldn't list all of the things he loved about her, though he could try.

The elevator was silent back up to the bullpen. McGee was absorbed in his and Abby's future, if they had one, and Ducky was watching McGee for any sign of mental breakdown. There was none he could see at that time, that pleased Ducky. McGee was taking it better than Gibbs would have if it was Shannon.

The elevator took longer than usual and that was quite strange. Finally after about ten minutes Ducky and McGee had reached the bullpen. Though everything seemed different. DiNozzo was still in the head trying to fix his once perfect nose. Gibbs and Ziva were still out of the office, running down leads and other agents of the building were deeply engrossed in their cases. Unfortunately McGee's phone was ringing. How many rings had it been?

McGee couldn't be sure.

**Hi guys. As you all know, or you should by now, the captor is asking questions. Would you guys happen to have any that you think they should ask? Also, can you guys think of any songs that sum up Abby and McGee really well, how about some that he could sing to her? PM me if you have any suggestions.**


	15. Bye Bye Love

I do not own NCIS, though I wish I owned McGee...sigh

Thank You for reading on, though after that last cliffy I don't blame you all for returning. Please continue to R&R. Thank you for your support.

Chapter Fifteen

Forensics Expert Abigail Sciuto had still not slept. She could hear her captor sucking air through the voice changer and the phone's desperate rings in response. The process seemed to go on forever. Surely it had been more than five rings, hadn't it? Had McGee finally given up? She didn't blame him.

"McGee!" She finally heard on the other end. She could tell from the one word that he was anxious, worried, no longer courageous.

Suddenly her captor was in the room and the bright fire of the lights blinded Abby. "Tell him he took too long" She demanded. " Tell him to turn on the video feed. Tell him anything else and I kill you!"

Abby did what she was told. Her captor was scary, her arms hurt, her head swam, and she just wanted it all to end.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee anxiously waited for a reply on the other end of the phone. How many rings had it been? Was he in the clear or had he sealed her fate?

Finally a response came, "You took too long McGee." that was Abby! She sounded not herself, she sounded less, she sounded broken.

There was so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to tell her. "Abby" he decided on, "Listen to me-" he was cut off.

"Open the link to the video feed." Abby voiced, pained. McGee heard the jangle of chains then the phone cut out. A link to a video feed popped up on his computer. He instantly clicked it open.

He saw Abby again, but that time she was facing the wall, his MIT shirt over her head, he could see all of the tattoos on her back, the cross, the stick figures, the flower, he could see the soft curves of her breasts, he could see everything. Her captor, in the Reagan mask, held a terrifying looking whip. McGee knew it couldn't be good, when was a whip ever good?

"Next time you will not keep me waiting, Special Agent Timothy Sean McGee!" Her captor growled through the voice changer, making it squeal as she flipped the whip back and brought it down on Abby. Abby screamed and McGee tore his face away. He couldn't watch. Her captor went on, "I said five rings!" She brought the whip down on Abby again, "Not six," Another whip crack over Abby, "Or seven" Then another and another, "OR EIGHT!" Several more made contact, Abby screaming everytime.

Finally the whipping stopped and McGee looked up. He saw that Abby's once beautiful tattoos were now torn to ribbons. The blood ran down her back and dripped into the darker blood that spread down her legs. McGee knew that it was all his fault. He could almost feel her terrified warm salty tears, just as he felt his own. "Abby, I am so sorry!" he blubbered. He was broken just as she was. Their unborn child was lost, dripping into the dirt at Abby's feet, never getting the chance to be born.

As if it all wasn't bad enough, "Your Question" The Reagan masked, voice changer wheezed. "Who was Miss Sciuto's first sexual encounter with?" That was just adding insult to injury.

Had he learned that from her mock apartment downstairs? Had Mawher told him? If he had he was having a hard time focusing, especially after all that had happened. He took a deep breath and hoped he was right.

"Terrence Campbell, he was nineteen and she was seventeen, in the back of his dad's '57 chevy." he hoped he was right, he couldn't stand to see her hurt again.

"WRONG!" Reagan Mask screamed, "Not her first. Thanks for Playing." The video feed cut out, but not before Abby's scream filled the nearly full bullpen. Had her captor killed her? It made McGee sick to think about it.

"Ducky" he choked out, he could barely breathe, he knew he was a mess, "Call Gibbs." he gasped, once again overwhelmed by tears. Then he climbed under his desk and tried to disappear.

Tony had come back from the head to find McGee in tears and the captor and Abby on McGee's computer screen. He knew he had messed up and that he was definitely going to be chewed out by Gibbs when he returned. He thought that was bad, then McGee got another, a third question wrong. They were as good as dead if she was dead.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was receiving a phone call, Ziva knew that much.

"Go" Was all Gibbs spoke. There was a silence from Gibbs and then he slammed his foot down on the gas petal, what ever he had heard on the phone was important. He didn't even hang up the phone before he put the petal to the metal. Ziva had had calmer rides on roller coasters.

They made it back to NCIS in record time to find Ducky looking sullen and worried at Gibbs' desk, Tony with his head in his hands, and McGee nowhere to be found. That did not bode well.

"What the hell happened?" Gibbs thundered, he did not like to see his team in that condition. He was not happy at all, they all knew that. "Tell me that Abby is home safe and that you two just found out that Sex Panther #5 has been discontinued!" He knew that was not going to happen. "Where the hell is McGee?"

A small utterance came from under McGee's desk. Gibbs stormed over to where he could see McGee. "You tell me what the hell happened and you tell me now!" Gibbs bellowed as he pulled a puffy-eyed, snot nosed McGee out from under his desk with one hand.

McGee sniffed and would not meet Gibbs' stone cold gaze. "I got a question wrong boss." McGee voiced, "And I killed Abby!" He knew it was unproffesional but he didn't care, he broke down into tears again.


	16. Memories and Bert

I do not own NCIS but I wish I owned McGee...sigh

Please R&R. I don't know if I will be able to keep the deadline that I previously set because my internet is having it's problems and throwing a hissy fit. I blame my internet provider for frying my router but anyway. Thanks again for reading!

Chapter Sixteen

Special Agent Ziva David watched as Gibbs' face made several changes. First to pity, then pure anger, then determination, or was that unadulterated rage? She knew what was coming next.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs growled, "I have another search for you. Find Thom E. Gemcity on Sputter, and see who follows him." Tony knew not to correct Gibbs, he knew he was talking about Twitter, that was easy enough, he went straight to work. "Cross check that with the search I had you run earlier." Tony barely even nodded before his fingers crawled across the keyboard. "David!" He barked, she was ready for any quest he requested. "Take that fan mail and go over it with Ducky." that task was easy enough. "If anything seems out of place, bring the sender in." Ziva didn't even have to blink, she followed Ducky down to autopsy, the box of strange fan mail between her arms.

Gibbs turned to McGee. He knew all of the past few days ups and downs had taken a toll on him. His face had sunken in and dark bags protruded from under his eyes like rotten plums. His eyes didn't seem to sparkle as they did before. Did Gibbs just think of McGee's sparkling eyes? He needed more coffee.

"McGee" Gibbs spoke, "I need to watch what happened from the video link thingy. Can you do that?" He knew McGee could do it, if anyone could, McGee could.

"Boss I can't watch that again." McGee spoke truthfully, "Please don't ask me to." He couldn't stand to see Abby hurt again,even if it was a replay.

"I'm not asking you to, McGee" Gibbs clarified, "Just set it up for me." McGee thought Gibbs was crazy but he did it anyway. He set up the video feed and sat back in Ziva's desk, his ears plugged and his eyes squeezed shut. "What are you doing McGee?" Gibbs asked, "Get outta here. Take a nap on the director's couch."

Director Vance was out of town on business so McGee would be on his couch alone. McGee wanted anything but to be alone, especially in the director's office.

"Boss I-" McGee began, "I don't feel right being up in the director's office. Can I go sleep in Abby's Lab instead?" It would at least calm his nerves to be surrounded by her essence.

Gibbs couldn't exactly say no, "Just get outta here!" he qualified, McGee headed for the elevators, "And McGee" Gibbs stopped him, "I don't think that Abby's dead."

Just those five words made McGee feel at least a little better. Gibbs' gut was never wrong, was it? McGee himself started to believe that she was alive.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

In Autopsy, Doctor Donald Mallard and Ziva David had gone through almost half of the letters. They were all pretty general. "You should add a character like me", "You need me to read your manuscripts to make them perfect", even a few "Will you marry me?"'s. Nothing too out of the ordinary. They couldn't help but hope that Tony was having more luck.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Upstairs, in the bullpen, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo wasn't having much luck. The searches and the cross searching would take days, weeks probably, but that wasn't the worst part. He'd already heard Abby's screams live, the fourth time he was ready to shoot something, but he wouldn't dare. He knew they had to find her, no matter what the cost, even if his nose was one of his best features.

At McGee's desk sat Gibbs, stone faced as always, even through the most painful of Abby's screams. He'd watched the footage at least three times, Tony had lost count. Maybe Gibbs could find something useful, or at least something that would help the search along. Gibbs was about to watch the footage again. Tony tried to think happy thoughts, Money, Ziva. A few weeks earlier they had gone to a theme park and they'd had a wonderful time. He remembered how much they had laughed that day, but even that wouldn't block out Abby's pained screams.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee lay under Abby's desk,on her futon, his arms wrapped around Bert, her farting hippo. The whole area smelled like gun powder and black roses, a scent that he knew he could never forget, even if he tried his hardest. He squeezed Burt and a fart erupted from the stuffed toy. McGee couldn't help but smile as he remembered them fooling around on that very futon years earlier.

He had come down from Norfolk to aide on a case and Gibbs had sent him to help Abby with all of the technological aspects of the case. It was pretty simple stuff so they were done early with nothing to do. Of course having dated for a few weeks they moved to the futon quite fast. Of course he was jazzed that he and Abby had clicked to well, he'd never really had a girlfriend like her before. They were getting pretty friendly when an erroneous noise erupted from under McGee.

"That wasn't me!" McGee voiced, he didn't know what it was, or if it was Abby, but it was embarrassing so he couldn't help but blush.

"Oh I know" Abby answered, "It wasn't me either," So then who was it? "It was Bert."

McGee was confused. Who the hell was Bert? A midget that slept on Abby's futon often? "Who's Bert? Your other boyfriend?" He was quite offended, and it had totally ruined the mood for him, but then again how would that not ruin the mood?

"No, silly" Abby responded, as she reached under him for the stuffed hippo, "He's my hippo!"

McGee felt like an idiot once he saw the stuffed hippo. "Oh!" was all he could say.

"But you are a much better kisser" Abby purred as she leaned closer to him and threw Bert across the room only to be greeted by an all too familiar "Ahem!".

It was Gibbs wanting results. Of course he threatened McGee and told Abby to keep it out of the office and that was the end of it.

That was one of his favorite memories with Abby. He only wished that she was safe so they could make more memories together, but he didn't even know if she was alive. He thought of himself as the worst boyfriend alive, then he remembered they weren't even dating. They'd had sex one night and she had disappeared the next morning. Some Casanova he was!

But she had told him that she loved him and that made him smile again. That was how he fell asleep on Abby's futon, holding Bert, Abby's unforgettable scent all around him.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Forensics Goddess Abigail Sciuto was not dead. She hadn't even passed out, the drug cocktail definitely hadn't worn off at all. She had seen McGee and she had hurt him unintentionally. He deserved a better way of learning her secret than just watching it slip away between her legs. Abby was in so much pain that she couldn't even cry anymore. She refused to. She knew she had two options. She could make it through it all and live to see McGee again or she wouldn't. She'd already sworn to the first so she would not back down. She would not give up. She would see McGee smile again if it was the last thing she did.

The light fractured through the door and she knew it was Dylan. She knew the difference. He was there to bring her another cocktail. She could nearly tell the time by the times he came to see her. She knew when it was time for a fix. She knew she was becoming addicted to whatever was in the syringe. She knew and she didn't care. She would see McGee smile, no matter what it took. No matter what sacrifices she had to make. She would see him, smell him, see him smile, kiss him, hug him, and love him again.

"Hey Abby" The monster spoke, "How was your day?" Those words terrified her. She knew what was coming next.

**Hi guys. As you all know, or you should by now, the captor is asking questions. Would you guys happen to have any that you think they should ask? Also, can you guys think of any songs that sum up Abby and McGee really well, how about some that he could sing to her? PM me if you have any suggestions.**


	17. Take a Crack at My Heart

I do not own NCIS but I wish I owned McGee...sigh

Thank You again!

Chapter Seventeen

Special agent Timothy McGee was in the bullpen with Abby, though he couldn't remember how he had gotten there, or how she had gotten there for that matter. He decided to ask.

"Abby, what are we doing here?" he asked, then before he knew it they were flying, above NCIS, above the Navy yard, above the clouds. He tried to ask again and they were ice skating. "Abby-"

"Tim" she whispered then skated away. He chased after her. Then the ice melted and they were swimming under the ice. "Tim" she spoke louder and they were suddenly dancing on the beach, her skin so warm under his fingers. "Tim" she spoke even louder and they were rock climbing. He was chasing after her, his fear of heights all but eliminated. She reached the top first and called his name again, even louder, "Tim!"They were sky diving without parachutes. The ground approaching faster and faster. Their hands the only thing connecting them. "TIM!" she yelled over the rushing wind as the ground approached. McGee braced himself for impact.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs watched as McGee tossed and turned on Abby's futon. He was trying to wake him up, but that only seemed to make him more restless. It seemed that he finally broke through the dreams when he called McGee's name as loud as he could.

McGee popped up awakening as he did, nearly missing the desk above him. It took a few seconds for him to realize where he was. Then he saw Gibbs, "Boss?" he asked remembering the past few hours and their emotional weight.

Gibbs held out a pile of clothes. "Go shower in the locker rooms," he spoke, McGee looked to him confused. "Abby's not dead," Gibbs explained, "So you need to get back to that phone." McGee knew that, he knew that if Abby wasn't dead he had to return to the phone. But how did Gibbs know that she wasn't dead?

"Boss?" McGee repeated. He didn't have to say more, Gibbs knew.

"If this sicko had killed Abby," Gibbs began, "She would have made you watch." That was true, she had threatened that before. "She'll call again." He spoke.

That was enough for McGee. He took the clothes and headed for the locker rooms. Gibbs was never wrong, at least that McGee knew, except marriages, but that didn't count, did it?

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Ziva David watched as Tony rearranged the tampons in his nose, her tampons, that he had asked for since his nose would not stop bleeding. McGee had really hit him hard. She thought he should go to the hospital, or at least get it reset but he hadn't allowed anyone near him, he was being a big baby. Finally she couldn't take it anymore. She went over to Tony, yanked the tampons out of his nose, and before he had even blinked she had resent his nose. He let out a cry of pain and Gibbs looked up from his computer screen.

He had been signing with Mrs. Sciuto through the webcam, he'd been assuring her that they would find Abby, that she would return safe and sound. Mrs. Sciuto had been worried when she and her daughter hadn't shared their usual daily chats for a week. She had called Gibbs, just as Abby had told her to do if she had missed a week. He was about to tell DiNozzo to shut the hell up when McGee's phone rang. He changed his mind immediately. "DiNozzo!" he barked, "Pull that fire alarm, now!"

DiNozzo followed the instructions and silently prayed that McGee would make it on time this time.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Forensics Expert Abigail Sciuto could hear the dogs behind the wall. They sounded rabid and angry, not at all like Jethro. She knew that would be her punishment if McGee didn't get the next question right. She hoped he did.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee rushed up the stairs as the fire alarm rang all around him, there was no way he would be late again. Luckily he had just finished his shower and was drying off when the fire alarm began. He charged up the stairs in nothing but the boxers that Gibbs had given him, his pants in one hand, a button up shirt in the other. Abby's life meant more than his dignity at that point.

He reached the phone and put it on speaker phone. "McGee!" he exhaled, he dropped the pants on his chair and slipped the shirt onto his still soaking wet torso.

"Very Good, Special Agent McGee" the captor voiced, "You're on time this time. " The voice changer squealed. "I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself." McGee kept his mouth shut in order to save Abby. "Open the video link." McGee did as he was told and saw Abby as before.

She was still bloodied and bruised and still wide awake. McGee could see the track marks on her arm and the pure determination on her face. She wasn't going to back down anytime soon and neither would he. Though something about her was different.

"Eight Rings last time" The captor squealed "Do you think you can answer eight questions about Abby?" Eight questions? "Can she answer eight questions about you?" Eight questions about him?

"It's not about me"McGee responded frozen where he was, where would she get eight questions about him? "It's about Abby" He was unsure where her captor was going and why.

"That's where you're wrong" her voice changer squealed and Abby squirmed in her chains. "It's all about you" She squealed "It's always been all about you."

McGee couldn't help it, "Then why not kidnap me?" he asked, "Why take Abby?" He was begging to know.

"Ah ah ah, Special Agent McGee" she answered, "My questions first" Abby was pulling against her chains making all sorts of noise and interruptions. That was when he saw it. She was trying to sign! If only he had learned sign language.

McGee didn't look away as he transferred what was on his screen to the plasma without alerting her captor. Gibbs immediately stood, his eyes glued to the plasma. He signed something to his computer and clicked something away. That was when her captor noticed.

"Do you think me stupid?" She asked to no one in particular, then she turned to Abby. McGee didn't know what was coming next but he could see the glint of silver pliers, he knew that was in no way good.

The captor moved to Abby and took one of her hands from the shackles. The pliers caught the light as the loud painful cracks filled the air. Abby barely even whimpered. She promised herself that she wouldn't show pain anymore. The captor turned back to the camera "It doesn't seem as though she's learned her lesson does it?" Back to Abby.

The pliers wouldn't grab all the way around Abby's wrist so it took a few times to break it with the pliers. She still did not whimper. She kept her eyes on the computer across the room.

McGee couldn't take it anymore, "Just ask your damn questions!" he exclaimed. He took the words right out of Gibbs' mouth.

"Very well" He captor spoke, "Same rules as before." She was methodical "Three in a row wrong and I kill her. Get it right and I reward you. Wrong and she gets hurt." McGee already knew that. The captor saw he was determined. "But to make sure that Abby doesn't send anymore hidden messages." she turned to Abby and broke her other fingers and wrist, the same cracks as before, making anymore signing impossible, still Abby didn't cry out. "Question One"the captor began.

McGee prepared himself for the worst.

**Hi guys. As you all know, or you should by now, the captor is asking questions. Would you guys happen to have any that you think they should ask? Also, can you guys think of any songs that sum up Abby and McGee really well; how about some that he could sing to her? PM me if you have any suggestions.**


	18. The Hell of Being Wrong

I do not own NCIS, but I wished I owned McGee...sigh

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Chapter Eighteen

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo stared at his computer screen in awe, his moth hung open, not just in shock but because he couldn't breathe with Ziva's tampons in his nose. He wasn't sure if it was his utter lack of sleep, or his near overdose on pain meds but his computer was telling him that it had results. He'd gotten a ping but he waited, he knew McGee and Gibbs and Ziva had other tasks at hand.

"Question One," Abby's captor, Reagan Mask, Squealed through the voice changer, "What is Abby's biggest pet peeve?"

Was her captor seriously asking that? Everyone at NCIS knew that it was the mishandling of evidence. No wait!

"People who say they are vegetarians but eat chicken" McGee answered flawlessly. Tony was glad it was McGee and not him, he would have gotten it wrong.

"Very Good" Abby's captor voiced without a pause, "Next question."

Tony opened the file that had pinged. It was a young woman, smokin hot, green eyes, rosy cheeks and really huge- Tony pulled his mind back to the case and Abby- she was from Texas but had been transferred to work in Florida, but had washed out as a med student.

Tony looked to McGee, who had suddenly tensed. What had the question been? What was the question that McGee didn't know the answer to? He watched as McGee attempted to answer.

"WRONG!" Reagan Mask barked, though not as terrifying as Gibbs. She took a scalpel and cut an X through Abby's palm. Abby bit her lip. "Next question" Reagan Mask barely even breathed.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was studying the replay of Abby's signing. He wasn't as good at signing as she was but he was proficient enough in finger spelling to understand. He had to replay it a few times, her letters were sloppy, but he finally made it out.

"Man. Name Di-" That was all he got, all that she signed. She usually would have spelled with perfect grammar but he knew she was drugged and sleep deprived. Di. How many male names started with Di? Countless, too many.

"WRONG!" Reagan Mask shouted again. Abby's other palm was sliced with an X. Gibbs fumed. If McGee got the next question wrong...

_**xxxNCISxxx**_

Forensics expert Abigail Sciuto kept her eyes on McGee the whole time. She barely even felt the pliers around her tech inclined fingers or her wrist or even the scalpel on her palms. All she saw was McGee.

Her captor was looking away, asking another question, about her college days. She knew she had to get McGee some sort of clue. There was a wheelchair near her with some sort of a name, her eyes were swimming too much to read it but hopefully McGee could. She went for it and kicked the wheelchair toward the camera. Of course it tipped and alerted her captor.

Reagan Mask's eyes blazed. "I didn't want to do this, but you need to understand, you _all _need to understand!" Somewhere near Abby a door opened and the barks of the dogs got louder and louder. Abby blinked and they were running right toward her.

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Ziva David had to avert her eyes as the feral dogs made a b line for Abby the terrifying barks issuing from their fanged jaws. Not much could scare her out of her wits but that was it.

She focused on Tony, at the desk across from hers. He was focused on his computer screen, his mouth curved into a smile. Had he found a lead? Did Gibbs know?

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs kept his eyes on the tipped chair that had flown across the screen. There was writing on it but he could only see part of the words. He could make out **PA** on one word, **DA **on the next line, **TE **on the next line, and** TAL ** on the next two line. So all in all he had **PA DA TE TAL TAL**, nothing that would lead them anywhere. He was starting to get annoyed, what could they do to help Abby, save Abby? And Why the hell was DiNozzo smiling while staring at his computer? He better not have been watching porn again on company time!

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee knew the answer to the question. He couldn't stand to watch the dogs tear at Abby's legs, their snouts stained with blood. He had to make them stop.

"Three weeks!" He yelled over the dogs' feral growls. They stopped suddenly and Reagan Mask waved them away. "It took three weeks for Abby to figure out that she had been hypnotized and had forgotten a whole day".

Reagan mask froze. She didn't expect McGee to know that answer. Finally after minutes of silence she asked the next question. "Abby's uncle committed suicide, Abby found his body. What song was repeating when she found him?"

McGee stopped. Neither Abby or Mawher had mentioned her uncle's suicide. McGee knew about her many uncles but had never heard her say anything about suicide. He knew he had to make a guess and that scared the hell out of him. He knew he had to do it for her, but he didn't want to hurt her anymore, he couldn't stand to see her in anymore pain.

He knew he had to answer, but he didn't know the answer so he closed his eyes tight and made a guess, the first song that came to his mind. "Broken Wings, By Mister Mister!" As soon as it left his mouth he knew it was wrong and he was sorry for it.

"WRONG!" Reagan Mask screamed. She took Abby's hand out of the shackles and shoved the scalpel into her broken bleeding hand. She laughed, "Let's see how she handles the memories. You will all watch her punishment." The computer began blaring music.

**Hi guys. As you all know, or you should by now, the captor is asking questions. Would you guys happen to have any that you think they should ask? Also, can you guys think of any songs that sum up Abby and McGee really well, how about some that he could sing to her?Think of the worst song you can think of, if you please. Thanks Robin's chick**


	19. Nights In White Satin

I don't own NCIS, but I wish I owned McGee…sigh

Thank you for reading on. Please keep your hands and feet inside the roller coaster that is this chapter. I am sorry if the formatting is off in any way. My open office was being wonky so now I'm using Microsoft word… yuck!

Chapter Nineteen

Forensics Expert Abigail Sciuto had never expected McGee to get that far. She thought she would be dead within he first three questions but she had been proved wrong, thankfully. She had promised herself that should would see McGee again but all of her resolutions disappeared when the computer began to play the melancholy music and the bloody scalpel was forced to her throat by her own hand. She just wanted it all to end. She didn't want to relive the painful memories of her uncle Freddy and the cursed song "Nights in White Satin" by the Moody Blues.

She tried to block it out and remember all of the good times with McGee but she was dragged back under by the memories.

The year was 1991. Abby was ten, almost eleven and she was spending the summer in Shreveport with her uncle Freddy. He was her father's brother and she'd been spending every summer with him since she was very young. The summer before had been the best yet. They'd gone to all of the festivals and had spent the evenings on the bayou hunting crawdads. Then they'd gone home and spent the humid nights together doing everything from playing board games to stargazing and everything inbetween. 1991 was going to be different.

Abby disembarked from the ferry and waited for her uncle. He didn't show up at the station for hours so she waited and waited. Finally she made the two mile trek to his cabin on the bayou, with the help of a fisherman and his boat and her new running shoes. What she found when she reached his cabin would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Uncle Freddy didn't answer the door when she knocked so she forced it in. Before she even had time to blink she saw her uncle hanging from the ceiling fan, spinning around ghastly slow. The CD player stuck on one track. The song that she never wanted to hear again.

Nights in white Satin

Never reaching the end

Letters I've written

Not meaning to send

Beauty I've always missed

With these eyes before

Just what the truth is

I can't say anymore

'Cause I love you

Yes I love you

I love you

Abby was pulled back to her captivity as Reagan Mask spoke, "Go on! Do it! No one loves you like he loved you!" Reagan make had to practically shout over the melancholy song. "Take your life and never reveal the secret." The secret that no one else was supposed to know about. "Kill yourself and it will die with you. No one has to know!" That did sound nice, to not have to tell anyone her real MOAS, the MOAS that she would never tell anyone as long as she lived, not matter how close they were.

Gazing at people

Some hand in hand

Just what I'm going through

They can't understand

Some try to tell me

Thoughts they cannot defend

Just what you want to be

You will be in the end

And I love you

Yes I love you

I love you

I love you

Reagan mask saw that Abby was still not moving. "If anyone finds out you will be ostracized. No one will love you! You'll be seen as a misfit, a throw away!" Abby still wasn't moving, so Reagan Mask took it a step farther. "Special Agent McGee will never love you again. He will leave you. You'll die old and alone." Abby tried to remember the good times with McGee but she was starting to believe Reagan Mask, she forced her broken wrist to move closer to her throat and the gentle arteries and veins just below the skin. She would bleed out so quickly, it would be nearly painless. She would never have to hear that blasted song again.

Nights in white satin

Never reaching the end

Letters I've written

Not meaning to send

Beauty I've always missed

With these eyes before

Just what the truth is

I can't say anymore

'Cause I love you

Yes I love you

I love you

I love you

Abby had still not moved enough to give Reagan Mask the desired effect. Reagan Mask didn't like that. She took a new approach. " Do you know why Uncle Freddy offed himself?" she asked her "Because you got too old. He was afraid you would tell. Afraid that he'd go to jail for what he did!" Could Reagan Mask be right? "He killed himself all because of you!" the damn song still blasted on.

Gazing at people

Some hand in hand

Just what I'm going through

They can't understand

Some try to tell me

Thoughts they cannot defend

Just what you want to be

You will be in the end

And I love you

Yes I love you

I love you

I love you

Abby flashed back to her childhood. All the summers that she had spent in Shreveport. All of the nights with her uncle. Had he indeed killed himself because she had gotten too old? Because he thought she would tell? Even though she had promised him countless times. Was it really all her fault? She couldn't stand it so she moved the blade closer.

'Cause I love you

Yes I love you

I love you

I love you

The scalpel was cold on her skin. It was surprisingly soothing. She knew it would cut through her skin just like butter. It would be so easy, nearly painless. The blade sunk into her skin.

"STOP!" a voice called and Abby stopped.

**As you can tell I have chosen the song "Nights In White Satin" by the Moody Blues, and it is absolutely torturing Abby. What song would be good to counteract that song, that would make her feel better, preferably sung by McGee? Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks!**


	20. Nights in WhiDON'T GIVE UP

I don't own NCIS, "Nights in White Satin" by Moody Blues, or "Voulez Vous" by ABBA, or "You are Loved (Don't Give Up)" By Josh Groban, but I wish I owned McGee and Josh Groban so they could sing to me…sigh

Please keep your hands and feet inside the emotional roller coaster ride that is this chapter. Thank you! R&R!

Chapter Twenty

Special agent Timothy McGee didn't know what to do or say. All he knew was he hated that song and that if he didn't do something Abby would die. What could he do? What could he say to stop her? He knew he couldn't live without her

Nights in white satin

Never reaching the end

Letters I've written

Not meaning to send

Luckily Gibbs did know. He stepped out from behind his desk and moved to McGee's webcam so Abby could see him clearly. "You listen to me Abby" he began, extreme confidence in his voice. "I love you and I will never stop no matter what happens. I will love you until I die, do you hear me?" He was not backing down. "I love you" The blade moved closer. He wasn't that bad was he? No, she was trapped somewhere in her memories. "Abby, I know what you're going through! I know, but you've got me and Tony and Ziva and especially McGee" He was telling the truth. "Abby if you do this, I am down two agents at least!" He watched her, the blade moved closer. "Abby you do not have permission to take your own life!" The blade stopped and Reagan Mask ranted on.

Beauty I've always missed

With these eyes before

Just what the truth is

I can't say anymore

Ziva moved next to Gibbs. "Abby!" she voiced, trying to get her attention, trying to get her to stop. She had a feeling that Gibbs had no more to say. "I know we had a rough start but you have been one of the greatest friends to me." She paused, "I know Tony is going to take this the wrong way but I love you." Tony didn't even make a sound. "I do not want to see you die. It will tear this team apart." Abby's blade didn't move but Reagan mask kept shouting over the damn song.

'Cause I love you

Yes I love you

I love you

I love you

Tony still sat brooding. He was still too mad to say anything, he knew it was low and immature but he didn't want to get hit again. He knew he was being childish. He really did love Abby. Reagan Mask ranted on. The dreaded song continued.

Gazing at people

Some hand in hand

Just what I'm going through

They can't understand

Some try to tell me

Thoughts they cannot defend

Just what you want to be

You will be in the end

Cause I love you

Yes I love you

I love you…

McGee knew it was now or never. He didn't really want to reveal his true feelings in front of everyone else but it wasn't like they didn't already know. "Abby," He spoke, "Listen to me, I love you more than words can describe. Ever since you first asked me how my sig was hanging back at Norfolk." He smiled as he thought back, "You are the only girl I've ever really loved Abby, and if you kill yourself I will be right behind you because I cannot live without you." He reached for the first sharp thing he found, which happened to be a letter opener, which was quite dull and put it to his throat. "I don't even want to try. I will always love you more than I could ever say, no matter what." He moved the letter opener closer to his own throat, "No matter what you did" Even closer, "No matter what you do," Even closer "No matter what you're going to do" Someone behind him "awwww"ed but he was too caught up in his attempt to save Abby to notice. "Abby," he continued, "Don't let this bitch break you!" That seemed to do the trick. Abby stopped and so did the song. They were in the clear.

Then the hellish song started all over again and the same fear came into Abby's eyes, her broken hand tightened on the scalpel again.

"Let's beat this bitch at her own game, Tim" Gibbs voiced, That was so unGibbs to call him Tim, but then again he wasn't himself since Abby was missing.

"Boss?" That just left McGee completely confused. No one expected that from Gibbs. What exactly was he planning?

What no one expected was what happened next. Gibbs broke out into song.

Voulez vous

Take it now or leave it

Now is all we get Nothing promised, no regrets

Voulez Vous

Ain't not big decision You know what to do

La question c'est voulez vous

Voulez vous

"Do you get it now Tim?" Gibbs asked.

McGee was still recovering from hearing Gibbs sing, another sign that it was surely the apocalypse, especially when paired with the pink plywood walls from earlier. "Yeah" He finally answered, "Yeah! Yeah I do!"

_**XxxNCISxxx**_

Forensics expert Abigail Sciuto knew she was hallucinating. She was seeing Jenny Shepard and Kate Todd but she knew both of them were dead. She knew she was hallucinating because of the black wings that sprouted from their backs and their choice of black lipstick. Even worse, they were talking to her, but they were dead!

"Abby, I know Tony is going to take this the wrong way but I love you" Kate voiced, as she stood across the room, next to Jenny.

Her captor kept yelling over Kate and Jenny's words of encouragement, but they kept talking over her rants.

"If you do this I'm down at least two agents, Abby," Jenny voiced, "And we both know that's never good."

The rant and the god awful song continued.

"Abby I will always love you" Kate continued on, "No matter what you've done, what you do, or what you will do."

The rants continued and so did the song.

"Abby," Both Jenny and Kate spoke along with McGee, "Don't let this bitch break you!" The song stopped, so did the rants, there was a second of silence and then it all started again.

Abby sunk back into her memories but that time with Kate and Jenny along for the ride. She was reliving walking in on her uncle's swinging body when a wonderful sound broke through the stale memory. It was a single voice. It was McGee!

Don't give up

It's just the weight of the world

When your heart's heavy

I, I will lift it for you

Don't give up

Because you want to be heard

If silence keeps you

I, I will break it for you

She loved that song! She could get through this torture! She could do anything! Reagan Mask turned up the song from hell.

Nights in White Satin

Never reaching the end

Letters I've written

Not meaning to send

Abby was sinking back into the memories of Shreveport 1991. Her long trek. Her dead uncle. Then there was the song again. But more voices! McGee and Gibbs!

Everybody wants to be understood

Well I can hear you

Everybody wants to be loved

Don't give up

Because you, are loved

You are loved

Reagan Mask turned the worst song in the world up and started to sing along.

Beauty I've always missed

With these eyes before

Just what the truth is

I can't say anymore

'Cause I love you

Yes I love you

I love you

Back down into the horrible memories. The intensity of the police investigation and the hospitals and the- There was the song again. With more voices! Abby knew it would win out. Everyone in the office was singing now, everyone on the navy yard, everyone in D.C., or so it seemed.

Don't give up

It's just the hurt that you hide

When you're lost inside

I, I'll be there to find you

Don't give up

Because you want to burn bright

If darkness blinds you

I, I will shine to guide you

Abby knew she would not return to the hell of Shreveport again. She tried to drop the scalpel but she couldn't let it go. So it stayed where it was as the hellish song started again, dragging her down into the personal hell that was her memories.

Everybody wants to be understood

She had disembarked from the ferry. It was going to be the best summer ever.

Nights in White Satin

It was late. Her uncle hadn't come to pick her up.

Well I can hear you

She would get a chance to try out her new Nike running shoes that she had bought with her own money

Never Reaching the end

The swamp was wet and cold. Her Nike's did nothing to keep out the cold swamp water and the bugs.

Everybody wants to be loved

She knew that it was all in the past, She had already lived through it once

Letters I've written

The fisherman's boat smelled of dead things. She could barely breathe.

Don't Give Up.

All of DC was singing to her, or so it seemed. McGee leading the whole thing. He still loved her, even though he knew.

Not Meaning to send.

She was back in his shack. His dead body swinging with the slightest shift in the wind.

Because you are loved.

You are Loved.

**As you all have noticed I finally chose a song! It's a really really beautiful song called "You are loved (Don't Give Up)" by Josh Groban. It seemed to fit the mood really well, so I picked it to fight with "Nights in White Satin". But Don't worry there will be more songs eventually, though this story is not a musical. Please feel free to keep giving me song ideas. Thank you Robin's Chick.**


	21. The Rage Erupts and Bleeds

I do not own NCIS, "Nights in White Satin" by Moody Blues or "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel, or the movie "Say Anything", but I wish I owned McGee so he could sing to me too…sigh

This Chapter Title is based on a song called "Refuse" By Android Lust, I prefer the acoustic version but both are good. I don't own that either.

Thank you for reading this far. Please note that if you read chapter 20 earlier than today, whatever the date is, it has been changed slightly. Thank you! Thank You! Thank You! For all of the reviews and for the support, and most definitely for the song titles. Please enjoy.

**Warning**: Extreme Abby whumping ahead, but also extreme stick-it-to-the-man (woman)-itis! I feel they balance each other out but you have been warned. Please keep your hands and feet inside the plot line!

**Warning: **Mention of Rape. You have been warned!

**Warning: **The following chapter contains the F word, you know which one I'm talking about, and no it is not Freedom, or Fudge, but the real F word. I don't know if I should change the rating but you all have been warned!

Chapter Twenty-One

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo sat in his desk chair. He loved Abby but he wasn't ready to help McGoober sing to her. He knew he was being childish but he had his reasons. He did not want to be hit again. He watched as Gibbs joined McGee, then Ziva and Ducky and Palmer and then the whole office, or at least they tried. Tony still sat stone-faced with his best Gibbs impression. He could see that their singing wasn't totally helping. Abby still had the scalpel at her throat and the song had repeated four times. Thankfully, McGee had changed his song selection. Tony kept his eyes on the computer screen. He'd gotten a ping, a lead, and that was how he was going to save Abby.

McGee stopped singing during one of the choruses. He knew they needed everyone, the more, the better, and that included Tony, as much as he hated to admit his mistake he did, for Abby's sake. "Tony please," He pleaded; it was the third time during their little singing session that he'd tried. There wasn't much to say, he'd already said it all. "Don't do this for me." McGee began, "Do it for Abby's sake." He'd heard that before, "Please Tony, help me get Abby back and you can wail on me all you want. Just don't let her die."

Tony didn't want Abby to die; he had never wanted her to die. He was just overwhelmed by all of the events in the last few days. The rants of Abby's captor were starting to give him a headache but he did not answer McGee and McGee sulked away again. They still could not over power the dreaded song. The dreaded melancholy wails of the singer, and Reagan Mask's sad attempts to provoke Abby to death by her own hand.

Nights in White Satin

Never reaching the end

Letters I've written

Not meaning to send

Beauty I've always missed

With these eyes before

Just what the truth is

I can't say anymore

McGee knew they were failing. Reagan mask and the saddest damn song on earth were winning. Stealing Abby away from him. Still he knew he had to try and try he would until he could try no more. But slowly his voice was faltering, quivering next to Gibbs and Ziva and Ducky and Palmer and the rest of the Bullpen.

Love, I don't like to see so much pain

So much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away

I get so tired working so hard for our survival

I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive

The voices boomed over the captor's rants and the dreaded song. Was that Tony? McGee smiled and he and Tony finished out the next chorus with a bang, an emphasis that even Reagan Mask could not top. Then came time for the powerful refrain.

All my instincts, they return

And the grand Façade, so soon will burn

Without a noise, without my pride

I reach out from the inside.

McGee watched as a sudden change came over Abby. The determination and power etched itself into her face and the scalpel fell to the floor with a dull clang. She started to sing along with them.

In your eyes

The light, the heat

In your eyes,

I am complete

In your eyes

I see the doorway of a thousand churches

In your eyesThe resolution of all the fruitless searches

In your eyes

I see the light and the heat

In your eyes

Oh, I want to be that complete

I want to touch the light

The heat I see in your eyes

Reagan Mask was not very happy. She picked up the scalpel and rushed Abby. Everyone in the office hushed almost immediately, except for Tony. He started the song again, he knew it well enough; he'd seen the movie "Say Anything" with almost every girl he had dated, except for Ziva, perhaps sometime. McGee watched the happenings between Abby and Reagan Mask.

In your eyes

The light, the heat

In your eyes,

I am complete

In your eyes

I see the doorway of a thousand churche-

Reagan Mask took the scalpel to Abby's chest and cut through McGee's MIT shirt and through her flesh, making a rushed Y incision. Where had they seen that? The two petty officers!

"You can't get away from me, Abby." Reagan Mask squealed, "You will die by my hands and there is nothing anyone, especially not Timothy McGee can do about it." The sound of tearing flesh was unbearable. Tony had stopped long ago; the bullpen was silent. If they didn't do something fast, Abby would bleed to death.

Even then, Abby didn't give up easily. It was as if a new vigor had breathed life into her, "You can do whatever the fuck you want with me," Abby growled back, "You can hurt me, you can kill me, but Timothy McGee will never ever be yours! He will never do what you want!" She was scarier than Gibbs! Strangely, McGee was quite turned on. "Ask all the fucking questions you want, but he will always win the game!" She didn't even blink; she was not intimidated anymore.

Reagan Mask didn't know how to respond so Abby started stating off facts. Answers to the same questions that McGee had been asked. "Timothy Sean McGee. First word: Something along the lines of 'Momma' or 'Dadda' or FUCK YOU!" She was making a point. "First thing on his Christmas list: A jet pack, or a pack of FUCK YOU!" She would not back down ever again. "First class ever failed: Fencing at FUCK YOU! First Sexual encounter: Gwen Mont-FUCK YOU! Biggest pet peeve: FUCK YOU!" her point was made; Abby was just as strong as ever and not to be messed with.

Reagan Mask was flustered, that much was obvious, "The questions are over!" She squealed, the malice clearly diminished. McGee knew he should have felt better but he knew she could bleed out at any second. Reagan Mask and Abby disappeared; McGee hoped it wasn't for the last time.

Everyone was silent. No one barely even breathed. Tony knew it was his time to act. "Uh Boss," He spoke, "I got results." Gibbs just stared at him and he continued. "Jackie Peterson-Meyer, 30, from Texas. Nursing student, was working in Florida at-"

Suddenly it all fit. "Tampa Florida State Mental Hospital!" Gibbs voiced, "Ziva call NCIS in Florida and tell them everything."

"How do you-" Ziva should have known better than to question Gibbs, but then she remembered the fan letters. There had been one from a J.P.M. It was the most extreme example! She dialed and got Florida NCIS in seconds.

"McGee" Gibbs voiced, "There's nothing more you can do. Go and see Jethro." He would never get used to calling that dog his own name, it was strange.

"Boss, I'd rather not" McGee explained, "Not until I know for sure that Abby is safe." Gibbs couldn't argue with that so he let him stay.

Even though Abby had not yet been saved, the air seemed to have lifted just slightly. McGee had a feeling everything would be alright, but he kept his fingers crossed anyway.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Thomas Kentworth picked up his phone as he flossed, using his computer screen as a mirror. His boss was out getting espressos and his partner was in the bathroom. Their M.E. was sitting at the desk checking her email.

"Herro?" Kentworth mumbled, the floss and his fingers in his mouth. He knew it was probably one of his crazy ex-girlfriends calling again. He really wasn't interested in her; in fact, he didn't think he ever was. It was purely physical, but then so were most of his relationships.

"Hello" The voice on the other end was definitely a woman's, she sounded smoking', "This is Special Agent Ziva David from the D.C. office." She was an agent too? He was in seventh heaven! "Badge number-"

"What can I do for you sweet cheeks?" Kentworth oozed sex appeal, he liked her and he hadn't even seen her. She sounded foreign and that was his type.

To be perfectly honest, anything with boobs was his type.

"I need you to go to Tampa Florida State Mental Hospital," Ziva voiced, trying to keep her calm, Kentworth had that effect on people, he knew that and was used to flustered women.

"Well cutie, that's been closed down for three years now, but if you want I can come and see you." He considered himself quite a real Casanova.

Suddenly a new voice was on the other end. "Listen to Me, You oversexed horn dog!" It was a man, he was angry; Kentworth's charms would no longer work. "You get over to Tampa Florida State Mental Hospital now! It's a matter of life and death." Kentworth had heard they were a little over dramatic in DC, so he didn't think it was that important. "You find me Abigail Sciuto, alive, or I will have you fired so fast that the only question you'll be asking is 'Do you want fries with that?'!" Whoever he was, he was way beyond angry, he was pissed! There was a pause; Kentworth wasn't really sure how to react. It had to be a prank, right?

"Are you still on the phone?" Another male voice, older with the potential to get even angrier.

Kentworth didn't even hang up the phone, he just ran for the break room where he knew his partner and their liaison would be. "Beardsley! Steiner!" he yelled as he entered the room "We've finally got a lead!" Saying that things had been slow was an understatement. "We've got to get to TFS now!"

"The abandoned Mental Hospital, Tomy?" Special Agent Lisa Beardsley responded. "It closed down years ago. Or did you hit your head too hard on the headboard again?"

"I got a call from DC, smartass," Tomy responded, "Someone's being held there. An Abigail Sciuto."

"Abby Sciuto?" Hans squealed in a thick German accent, "Let us go! Now!" He had already grabbed his coat. Apparently, he knew her. Tomy only wished he knew her. She sounded hot.

Lisa rolled her eyes. She knew that look that Tomy got whenever a woman was mentioned. She punched him in the arm, hard, and followed Hans out. Tomy was left imagining was Abby Sciuto looked like. "Tomy!" Lisa Screeched, she was always screeching it seemed, "Hurry up!"

He chased after Lisa and Hans, Why fantasize when he'd get to see the real thing?

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Forensics Specialist Abigail Sciuto could feel the life leaving her body. She'd never had a Y incision before and she realized why. Even with all of the drugs in her system, it still hurt like hell and McGee's favorite MIT shirt was ruined. It was definitely not what she had planned when she had put it on. How long ago was that?

She heard the male enter again, just as confident as ever. It didn't matter that she was bloodied and hurt, or even more bloodied and hurt than before. He stuck another needle in her arm. He was not flustered like the other captor. "Something to remember me by." Once the drugs were gone, he moved to his next task. It also didn't matter that she was bloodied, it never had before.

Abby closed her eyes tightly. That was how she planned to block it out only it didn't work. She couldn't pretend it was McGee that would ruin it forever, but then again she was going to die. He brought back memories of Shreveport and the summers with her uncle. She tried to pretend that it was consensual but she knew it wasn't. There was nothing she could do. But if she were free…

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee was pacing in the bullpen. All he could do was wait. He was no longer responsible for what happened. She was in Florida and he could do nothing from DC. He felt so useless.

Tony came back from the head, his nose finally looking somewhat normal. McGee knew he should apologize, so he began to try.

"Tony" McGee began, "I'm sor-"

Tony cut him off, "Rule six McGeek" That was all he could muster at the time, "And Abby's not safe yet" He sat at his desk without another word.

McGee continued to pace. The plasma stayed dark. His phone did not ring. He was going absolutely crazy!

Finally, voices came from the speakers. "NCIS, Federal Agents!" Had the feed stayed on the whole time? Suddenly the surroundings came up and a young looking agent's face was on the screen.

"I'm Special Agent Tomy Kentworth." Tony thought he didn't look too bad, for a man. Was that the one that Ziva had talked to on the phone? "No one's here but there's a lot of blood."

McGee rolled his eyes. He was just another DiNozzo, only this one seemed even dumber than DiNozzo, if that was even possible. McGee would have laughed but he was too caught up with Abby. Where the hell could she be?

**So, I owe Seven Dollars to the swear jar, the metaphorical one of course. Thank you for continuing to read my little story that I've got going here. Will McGee find Abby? Will Abby live? Where did Abby go? Will Tony and Ziva ever watch "Say Anything" together? Stay tuned for the next installment! Please R&R!**


	22. Mental, McKerry, and STORYTIME!

I do not own NCIS, Kentworth, Beardsley and Steiner are mine, but I wish I owned McGee…sigh

Thank you for returning! I guess we'll get right to business then!

Chapter Twenty-two

Special Agent Lisa Beardsley could hear her own footsteps as she and Hans and Tomy ran down the abandoned halls of Tampa Florida State Mental Hospital. She had never been there but she had heard stories from her childhood. Supposedly, she'd had an uncle that had stayed there and had apparently died there; perhaps that was why she didn't remember him. All she knew was TFS was quite creepy and eerie at night.

Tampa Florida State Mental hospital had been around since before even Florida had become a state; it had closed down three years earlier because of lack of funding. TFS was the place for the craziest of the crazy and no one had really needed the extreme treatments anymore so it was closed down. It lay in shambles. Cobwebs and dust coated everything. Though it had the feeling that everything could come back as it was with the flip of a switch, a switch that Lisa Beardsley would not flip.

"NCIS! Federal Agents!" Tomy called into the shadows. Nothing moved or even breathed. There was no one there. Lisa should have known better than to trust Tomy, she should have known it was a prank call, she should have known it was a joke to ruin her plans with Hans later that night.

"Tomy!" Lisa exclaimed, quite annoyed, "You assho-"

Something moved in the dark and they chased it, their flashlight beams bobbing in the dark, providing no real light at all. They heard the dull thud of a door slamming and stopped. The doorway between them and the obvious noise of a door slamming closed was locked. Without any second thoughts, Hans kicked the door down and they canvassed the room, their sigs out in front of them.

"NCIS! Federal Agents!" Tomy called again, as they were blinded by the bright lights of the basement. They knew they were in the right place. The blood was everywhere, but there was no body, that was good right? She could still be alive.

Lisa and Hans put away their sigs and searched the room for anything that would help to find Abby Sciuto. It was quite difficult since only Hans had met her, at some forensics seminar, years and years ago. They assumed she was alive since there was no body, but no one could really be sure. It seemed as though someone had been there, since there was a lot of blood but there was no body. Could she be alive? Tomy had noticed the computer and was talking to someone on the other side, someone in DC?

Lisa noticed a set of stairs leading out of the basement. She pulled out her sig again, and Hans followed, his sig trained on anything that moved in the eerie darkness, anything that he wasn't familiar with. They ascended the stairs and found themselves in a graveyard.

There were several abandoned grave markers, with dates leading back to the early 1800s. There was no sign of any disturbance but Lisa and Hans kept searching. They had to find her alive, right?

Lisa couldn't stand to find another dead body, especially after the last case she'd had. A black market for kids. The traffickers had messed up when they had taken a Navy Commander's daughter. They were able to close down the ring easily enough but the Commander's daughter and all of the other children were found dead, Cyanide poisoning. Lisa had never wanted to come to work again, but she had. She couldn't stand to find Abby Sciuto dead too.

As Hans and Lisa rounded the corner to the east most side of the cemetery they saw the glint of a shovel, patting down dirt. Someone was burying something, that did not bode well for any of them.

The figure saw them and ran; Lisa and Hans ran after the suspect, firing shots as they did. The suspect could not get away. They had to find Abby, though the chances of finding her alive had just dropped significantly.

They had already yelled their credentials and were through with being nice. Neither of them knew which shot would be the kill shot but they rushed the suspect to find a woman, the voice changer wire still taped to her shirt. Lisa and Hans knew that was not Abby, that much was obvious.

"Where the hell is Abby Sciuto?" Hans yelled in a thick German accent, his sig trained at her head, he meant business and Lisa knew that. She would not interrupt him; it was justice, wasn't it?

The woman just laughed, the less than terrifying sound only slightly garbled by the dying voice changer. She was not terrifying at all, just covered in a lot of blood, some of it her own and some not. "Tell Special Agent McGee he'll find her in hell!" A few more peals of laughter and she was dead.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee heard the shots. Everyone at NCIS did. There was probably no one in the Navy yard who hadn't heard the shots. He watched as Kentworth excused himself, his sig drawn, desperation in his face.

Had Reagan Mask killed one of the other agents? Had Reagan Mask killed herself? Had Reagan Mask killed Abby with a gun because she was taking too long to bleed out on her own, or because she had finally stood up to her and shown her that she was not scared.

It was a waiting game all over again.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Thomas Kentworth ran out into the cemetery and found Beardsley and Steiner with their sigs trained on a dead body. He was quite shocked. What if that was Abby? "How do you know that's not Abby?" He asked, she looked like an Abby to him with the blonde hair and the rosy cheeks. She was hott!

"Abby is a moth." Hans explained as he holstered his sig.

"You mean 'Goth', Hans." Lisa responded, no cute nicknames, just all business. Tomy knew they were dating and it made him sick, but their boss didn't do anything about it. "She was burying something Tomy." She was cold and unfeeling, what was going on in her head? "Doesn't that seem suspicious to you?" She ran back to the shovel and picked it up and started to dig.

"You don't think she buried Abby?" Tomy asked, that shocked him. Did that mean she was dead? That scared him more than it should have.

"Look at the headstone Tomy" Hans responded, he started to help Lisa dig with his hands. He knew they had to find Abby either way, dead or alive. He had seen enough death in his youth in Germany. He couldn't help but hope that they found her alive.

Tomy did look at the headstone. It was even more eerie. It read "Here lies Timothy McKerry's love 1889-1919". What did that have to do with Abby? Why did the headstone have no name. It was all strange. Tomy had to figure out the mystery so he too leaned down and dug in the already disturbed ground. Seconds later they found Abby.

"She's not dead is she?" Tomy asked. Even though she was cut up pretty bad and caked in blood she was still very attractive. He'd never dated a Goth before and if she was dead he would probably never get that chance.

Abby hadn't been buried very deep, lack of time on Reagan Mask's part. She knew they would eventually find her, but she didn't expect to be murdered herself. She thought that McGee would be hers once he knew Abby was dead. Failure on her part.

Lisa reached down into the shallow grave as the sirens got louder and louder. "She's got a faint pulse." She voiced, that was a relief, at least she was alive, but Tomy knew there was a but in her voice. "But she's not breathing." That was bad.

It was less than a few seconds later that the EMTs arrived and started to work on Abby. Lisa, Tomy, and Hans kept their fingers crossed. They had found her alive. She couldn't die, it would tear them apart.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee watched as the EMTs carried Abby out on a stretcher. She was covered in dirt and mud, the Y incision evident by the blood soaked MIT shirt and the innards that were peaking out from the incision. Had Reagan Mask buried her to try and hide the evidence? She looked dead but McGee kept his head about him. If she was dead they would have covered her with a sheet or something right? She was just unconscious right?

The same agent from before came back to the webcam. His name was Kentworth, right? "Abby's still alive, the blonde woman is dead." He voiced. Were there any better words in the English language to McGee at that point? The answer was no. Those were the sweetest words he had ever heard. "We found her buried in the cemetery in a grave marked 'Timothy McKerry's Lover 1889-1919', Does that mean anything to you?"

Why was he asking about a complete stranger that died decades earlier? What did that have to do with Abby besides the fact that his name just happened to be Timothy too? Was it one of Reagan Mask's last messages? Was it a sick joke?

"No," McGee answered without a second thought, he didn't care about Timothy McKerry's Lover, he cared about Timothy McGee's Lover, he cared about Abby. "It doesn't mean anything. What about Abby?" he asked, desperate.

"She's got a pulse," Kentworth voiced, that was good, that meant she was alive, but why was there a but in his voice? "But she wasn't breathing." So that was the but, "I wanted to give her CPR, you know get some lip action in this creepy place but-"

McGee was about to yell at him again but-

"Get to the point Kentworth!" Two voices called from behind him, they sounded annoyed, but McGee knew it was probably like working with DiNozzo, except for about twenty times more pervy, or so it seemed.

Luckily Kentworth finally got to the point. "The EMTs showed up and they're taking her to St. Johns. We'll keep you posted."

"You keep a guard on her at all times." Gibbs growled, "No one and I mean no one but cleared doctors and nurses enter her room until I get there!" He grabbed his keys and headed for the elevator, "McGee, go play with Jethro!" He threw McGee his house key and the elevator closed.

McGee still didn't want to leave NCIS until he knew that Abby was absolutely safe, until he saw her in person, until she was back in DC, but he knew Gibbs was right. "Thank you, Kentworth." He would have rather thanked a bag of rocks, or DiNozzo after giving him a derogative McNickname, but he thanked him. Then he left NCIS for the first time in days, maybe even weeks, he couldn't remember how long he had been tethered to the phone. It felt good to be outside again.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Forensics Expert Abigail Sciuto had been revived in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. She was unsure how to react. Was she finally safe? Could she finally move on and forget the hell of her captivity?

The last thing she remembered was being unchained from the wall in the darkness and being dragged out into the cold night, her head spinning from the cold and the lack of blood flowing to her brain, since it was leaving through her wounds. She remembered being thrown to the ground, into what she knew as a shallow grave, and right into the arms of a decaying skeleton. Then she remembered the smell of dirt. The next thing she knew she was in the hospital, in the operating room.

She was refusing treatment. The operating doctors had gotten as far as prepping her for surgery but she would not let them sew her up. "Miss Sciuto," One of the operating doctors began, for what seemed like the billionth time, "You are out of harm. Let us stop the bleeding."

Abby still refused. "You're not touching me until I see Special Agent Timothy McGee out of D.C. and Medical Examiner Donald Mallard. It's not what you think, he's really-"She stopped as she realized it didn't matter, "Get me Special Agent Timothy McGee!" she exclaimed. She would not take no for an answer. She was just as stubborn as ever. She was a forensics scientist, she knew how much time she had before she was critical, but the sooner McGee showed up the better.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo watched as Ziva typed like a mad woman on her computer. They had stayed at NCIS because they needed to close the case of the two petty officers, that and Gibbs had not given them leave to leave. He had to know what Ziva was doing, since he was the one who was supposed to be typing up the case report. He thought that she should head home and relax, since Gibbs hadn't exactly told her that she couldn't, but he knew if he stayed, so would she.

"Ziva" He began, she didn't even look up from her computer, but he knew she had heard him, "What are you still doing here?" Not that he minded the company, even with all of the agents in the office, it still felt empty without Abby and McGee and Gibbs.

"I am researching like a good agent should, Tony." She responded as she kept typing, waiting for his response. She wasn't going to take no for an answer, she had to know what was so important about where Abby was buried.

"The Timothy McKerry thing?" Tony asked, he had to admit he was curious himself, but there was a time and a place for everything and he though it was time for Ziva to go home and get some sleep. Ziva knew he was about to tell her to go home, but what he said next surprised her. "What did you find?"

Ziva put what she had on the plasma across from McGee's desk. Tony read what he could:

_Timothy McKerry's lover is a tale that those who lived through the influenza of 1918 and the first world war told their children to get them to behave. There is no real proof that Timothy McKerry's lover ever existed. Some theories are that she did not have a name because Timothy McKerry was actually a homosexual and his lover was a man. Some other theories are that she was sent by the devil when Timothy McKerry could not finish his masterwork of "Hollow Parkway", a commentary on the first World War, that was never fully published._

_The legend of Timothy McKerry's lover is surrounded by controversy. Was she really a man? Or did she even exist at all? Sources say that she was a young woman that Timothy McKerry met while traveling through the United States as a reporter for a prominent newspaper at the time. He was enamored with her and wanted to marry her. Then the first world war started and he was called away to report on the tragedy of the war. He was in Europe from for the length of the first world war._

_When he returned from Europe, he found her in a mental hospital in Florida. She had gone crazy since he had left and had killed her neighbors with a pick axe, since the legend goes that she had never received any of Timothy McKerry's letters and thought that her neighbors had killed him. There may have been a possibility of Schizophrenia in her family history, or she could have been infected with the first traces of the Spanish Influenza of 1918. He went to meet her and she attacked him, injuring him with a well-placed hit to the head._

_Once he awoke, tied to the bed frame, he noted that she had fangs and a bloodlust in her eyes. He somehow got free, some say she let him go, and he staked her in the heart, killing her instantly. Legends say that she came back and hungered for the blood of children but this is not proven to be truthful._

_The legend goes that his lover, if she indeed was a woman had the name Abigail, though no proof has been found. She was supposedly buried as 'Timothy McKerry's lover' so her vampire maker could not find her_

_Please see disambiguation: Abigail_

Tony just laughed, "You went to Wikipedia?" He knew Abby would have a field day with what Ziva had found. "Don't you know that no one really puts stock in that crap!" It all seemed a little too convenient, "Abby will love this!" He continued to laugh, "McGee will probably wet his pants!" He couldn't stop laughing. If he knew McGee would be scared of Abby for the rest of his life

Ziva couldn't say she wasn't happy to see him laughing, at least things were starting to get back to normal.

Suddenly McGee's computer went off. A video chat request.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee picked up his cell phone on the second ring, still wiping the slobber off of his hand from throwing the ball for Jethro so many times. He was still in "Save Abby" mode, Also known as "Five rings or she dies" Syndrome.

"McGee." He spoke, he hadn't even bothered to check the caller ID. It could have been anyone, but no one scarier than Reagan Mask was. At least that whole ordeal was over, at least Reagan Mask was dead.

"Hello, Timmy!" McGee sighed a sigh of relief, it was just his mother. "I haven't been able to get a hold of you. Has work been tough lately?" She had no idea! McGee was about to answer but his mother went on, "Have you thought about giving Marnie a chance, lately?"

Marnie was the woman that his mother was trying to set him up with, who he had no interest in at all, they had just gone to high school together and hadn't really seen each other since. Their mothers were friends.

"Actually Mom," McGee responded with the left over confidence of the past few days, "I'm already seeing someone." He was talking about Abby, and he knew technically he had been "seeing" her for a while, without clothes on, but his mother didn't need to know that. He meant to tell her that he loved her and that he wanted her to be his eventually, so what was a little white lie?

"Oh Timmy!" His mother exclaimed, "What's she like? It is a she, right? When can I meet her? When-" McGee couldn't stand her constant line of questions so he hung up. He had answered enough question in the past few days to last him a lifetime.

Almost immediately his phone rang again. He barely even had time to throw the ball for Jethro before it rang again. He picked it up in two rings, still in "Save Abby" mode, unfortunately.

"I'm sorry Mom," He spoke before thinking, "There must be bad cell service in the area." Jethro brought back the ball and McGee patted his head.

"Mom?" That voice was not his mother, "I am not your mother, McGee" It was Ziva. He was embarrassed, Tony would never let him live it down.

Then the panic set in. "Ziva, what's going on?" Was it something about Abby? Was something wrong?

"We need you back at NCIS." She voiced. "Someone needs to speak with you."

"Who?" McGee asked, but Ziva had already hung up. He sped to NCIS, ignoring almost all traffic laws to get there. He had to solve the mystery. He had to make sure that everything was ok. Had Abby died in Florida?

McGee made it to the navy yard in under ten minutes, he would have made it to NCIS in under ten minutes but he had to go through security and they had to make sure that he wasn't carrying a bomb onto the navy yard. He finally made it.

Ducky was sitting at his desk when he got there, speaking to someone, telling them about the differences between staples and stitches and glue, for human skin. Once McGee got in, Ducky moved back and gave McGee his seat. "He's here now." Ducky voiced as McGee sat down and saw Abby.

"Abby!" McGee gasped, she was awake but not treated. Her face was still bleeding, even he knew she needed to be treated, so why wasn't she? "Why aren't you in surgery?" Why wasn't she getting the help she needed?

"I wasn't going to let you worry," Abby voiced, feeling as if he should already know that. "You can start now, guys." The doctors moved to start tending to her many wounds, starting with the Y incision. "I'm letting them fix me up, but only if you stay with me, Timmy." she explained, "I don't want to be alone."

"Well Gibbs in on his way there now." McGee explained as he saw Abby flinch, he too flinched.

Abby saw the pained look on his face. "I can't have any anesthetic because of the drugs I was injected with." She explained, "And that's not what I meant, McGee." McGee wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that, so Abby went on, "Thank You for saving me." He didn't exactly feel like being thanked, he had hurt her, he was the cause of all of the bloodshed.

"Well, technically this-"

Abby knew what he was thinking. "Don't you start that McGee!" she threatened, the needle pricks and the saline less and less painful every time they went in, it was just like getting a tattoo, "And this is not your fault." She knew McGee wasn't convinced, "You wrote a book, you didn't sell her the scalpel." Another Doctor moved to sew up her face. She was forced not to talk as much. She still kept her eyes on McGee. "McGee" She started again, "I should have told you about-"

McGee knew what she was about to say and stopped her, it hurt him too, just like he was being stabbed in the heart, but that was not her fault. "It's alright Abby." He voiced, he wished he could reach out and touch her but he could not. "It's alright." he repeated, it would be alright, wouldn't it?

Abby believed him, she slightly smiled and opened up some of her lacerations. The doctors kept sewing and cleaning her up with the saline. Abby felt like a rag doll but it didn't matter, she knew McGee still loved her, even if he wouldn't say it over the internet. She knew that they still had a chance.

Suddenly a thought struck her. What about Reagan Mask and Dylan? Were they still out there? "McGee" she voiced, "Tell me a story." She would find out about them later, she knew she would, she just wanted to concentrate on McGee, "I missed your voice."

**There you go. Abby is not dead…But the story is not over! Mwahahahaha! Just kidding, I'm not that evil. Please stay tuned for the next installment. Please and Thank you, R&R!**


	23. Cheerleader for Love

I do not own NCIS, Kentworth, Beardsley, Steiner and Timothy McKerry are mine, but I want Timothy McGee! Sigh!

Thanks for coming back to the story. Please keep all belongings secured as you read this chapter. Thank you, you're all wonderful!

Chapter Twenty-Three

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs rushed into the St. Johns Hospital reception area. His overnight bag over his shoulder and his sig and badge still on his hip. He didn't even say who he was, they already knew, or at least someone did.

"Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs?" A younger woman asked, the same badge on her hip, her sig probably in her desk, where his belonged. Gibbs nodded, that was indeed his name. "Special Agent Lisa Beardsley." He shook her outstretched hand, "I'm sorry but I have to ask," He knew she had to, it was all part of Abby's protection detail. "Did the flight have Salted Peanuts?"

It was a code question, that much was obvious, but to the onlooker it was a standard conversation. "Yes, but I'm watching my cholesterol. Wife's orders." He couldn't figure out why he had to say that. Was it because he was older? Or because he'd been a serial groom? If any woman, wife or not, ordered him to watch his cholesterol he'd shoot them. It was that simple.

"Credentials?" Agent Beardsley responded. She should have asked for those first, but Gibbs took them out anyway. Everything was in order and he and the young agent were finally on their way to see Abby.

For Gibbs it couldn't be soon enough. It had been a short flight, only an hour, at least according to his watch, but to Gibbs it seemed like it had been an eternity. Maybe it was the screaming child a few seats back, or the snoring large man that took up two seats next to him that had dragged out the flight. Or maybe it was the fact that Abby, his favorite, was all alone in a strange place, hurt, and did he already mention alone? Yeah, Gibbs didn't do worried well.

Finally, Gibbs and Beardsley reached Abby's room. It was pretty obvious it was her room, with the two guards outside the doorway, fully loaded sigs on their hips, earwigs in their ears.

Gibbs watched as the two agents played Rock Paper Scissors, so those were the two boneheads assigned to protect Abby? It was a good thing he was there. The agent he recognized as Kentworth was complaining that he had lost.

"You argue too much, Tomy" The other agent told him, he had clearly won the current round of Rock, Paper, Scissors.

"I do not!" Tomy Kentworth responded, he did too!

"Lisa, will you tell him he argues too much?" The first agent asked, as she passed with Gibbs.

"If Tibbs catches you you'll both get in trouble" Lisa Beardsley responded as she led Gibbs into the room that separated Abby from the hospital. Tomy, Lisa, Tibbs? Had Gibbs stepped off of the plane and into one of McGee's books? He just shook it off, Tomy and Lisa were common names.

Abby was in ICU, as Gibbs expected, especially after her injuries. Before he entered, he had to change into a clean pair of scrubs and put on an isolation gown, his gun and badge and bag left with Beardsley. He didn't mind, he was there to see Abby, Beardsley and the other two could handle any intruders, at least when they finished arguing over who had won Rock Paper Scissors.

Abby noticed him as soon as he entered, her senses not dulled at all because of the injections of drugs. The drugs effects had obviously not diminished at all. "Gibbs!" She exclaimed, he knew she wanted to rush him but he met her first. He didn't exactly know what to do. How much would it take to heal her before she was back to herself? Could he embrace her without causing her more pain? "Where's McGee?" She asked, looking past Gibbs, hoping to see her Timmy.

"Back in DC" Gibbs responded, "He needed to sleep, the whole team did." Crap! Why hadn't he brought McGee along?

Abby knew he couldn't argue. They weren't the only ones that needed sleep, unfortunately, she was more awake than if she had drank one hundred or even one thousand caf-pows. She somehow knew she wouldn't be sleeping for days.

"Besides" Gibbs went on, "I need to have some words with you." Oh no! There it was, the stern talking to about rule twelve and the consequences of breaking it.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo entered his apartment absolutely beat. He knew Ziva was already there, evidenced by her coupe in his driveway, but he didn't know if he had enough energy for those pursuits. He couldn't understand how she could have that energy, had she been drinking caf-pows too?

Something was different. His TV wasn't on an intellectual channel, it was on ESPN, the same channel he had left it on before going into work. The door was unlocked and open, but Ziva was not attacking him as she usually did, with her hungry kisses. Suddenly a horrible thought struck him. Had she been kidnapped too? Normally he wouldn't be worried, Ziva could fend for herself, but she was sleep deprived, how would that affect her ninja skills?

Luckily, his suspicions were quelled once he heard her snoring soundly, like a drunken sailor with Emphysema, on his couch, fully clothed. He couldn't bring himself to wake her so he carried her to his bedroom and tucked her in before falling asleep himself, not even Ziva's snores keeping him awake.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee had tossed the ball to Jethro for the billionth time. He had lost count, though he knew his hand was covered in enough slobber to at least water Gibbs' ferns. His mind was stuck on Abby and what would happen once she came back to DC.

Would they date? If so, would they start from scratch? Or pick up where they left off? Or would things be just as awkward as they were after they had broken up? He knew that he missed her and just wanted to be with her. But what if her letter wasn't a fake? What if he really was as soft as Marshmallows? It was the code word but could it have been literal as well? What if she hated him for getting her hurt and abused?

Jethro barked and left the tennis ball forgotten as he ran for the fence that lead to the street. McGee followed him, it was probably just one of the neighbors walking by. To McGee's surprise, it was Director Vance, in a really cheesy Hawaiian shirt.

"Director Vance" McGee spoke, all of his confidence gone in an instant. He had no idea why Vance was at Gibbs' home. "Gibbs isn't here right now" Vance probably already knew that.

"Any new on Miss Sciuto?" Vance asked, apparently he knew about that too, but how could he not? He was the director of NCIS, nothing seemed to escape him.

"No, sir" McGee responded, "The last I heard she was in surgery." That was the last he had heard. The last time he had talked to her. If he were honest with himself, he was starting to get worried about her.

"How extensive were her injuries, McGee?" Vance continued his line of questioning. So apparently, he didn't know everything. McGee wondered how much he did know. He knew he had cut his trip short, but what did he know about Abby? Vance saw that McGee wasn't ready to answer "Have Gibbs call me when he gets home". Then he turned to leave.

"Gibbs is in Florida." McGee called as Vance reached his car, his very corporate, ass-kissing car, Vance must have just gotten back to DC.

"I know McGee" That seemed to be a popular phrase for Vance, "Just have him call me when Miss Sciuto is settled." He got into his car and drove off.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Forensics Goddess Abigail Sciuto was ready for whatever Gibbs had to say to her. She knew that she could face him, even though she had no caf-pow and no forensics evidence. Though why would she? She was in the hospital. She knew she had done nothing wrong, after all what was wrong with loving her fellow man? Abby knew Gibbs would not yell or hit her, he would never hit her, no matter what the circumstances. He couldn't be scarier than Reagan Mask.

"Abs" Gibbs started after a few seconds of silence. "I'm going to have to break my own rule and say I'm sorry." she had never heard him say that before, no one really had, it was a sign of the upcoming apocalypse.

"Not you too!" Abby groaned, she was tired of apologies. "I wish everyone would stop apologizing. It's not going to change anything!"

"I should have caught her sooner, Abs" Gibbs went on, "I should have seen the connection."

Abby's interest was piqued, there was a connection between her abduction and the two dead petty officers? She had found something after all? "What connection, Gibbs?" she asked.

"McKernan, Lewis and McGee are writers" Gibbs spoke as he sat next to her on the bed. "You probably know them as Marksan, Wills and of course, Gemcity."

A connection suddenly clicked with Abby as she sat there processing what Gibbs had just told her, "She kept saying that she wanted him to write again. That I was keeping him away from his writing, but how did she know that he wasn't writing?"

Gibbs had an answer to that too. "His publishing company." Abby looked to Gibbs surprised, or at least the best she could do with all of the stitches. "They update his Sputter." He saw the confused look on her face and knew that wasn't the right term, "His Spitter?" She was still confused, "Whatever it's called, the thingy that people read about other people."

"Twitter, Gibbs" Abby corrected, once she finally understood, but something still bothered her. "Would she have taken my still beating heart, Gibbs?" She asked, the fear back in her eyes, "Would she have killed McGee if she had taken him instead?" Deep down she knew the answer but didn't want to face it.

"She damn near killed you Abs" Gibbs responded, "I don't take that lightly." He would have killed her himself if he could have, both he and Abby knew that. "No one messes with my team and gets away with it."

That was supposed to cheer Abby up, at least somewhat, but she stayed in that dark place. "What McGee must think of me now." She voiced, "Now that he's dug into my life." She truly thought that McGee didn't want to see her, since he hadn't come down to see her with Gibbs.

"I'm sure he loves you just the same" Gibbs responded, it was weird to talk about her and McGee in love. What the hell had happened to Rule number twelve? Though that wasn't important. After seeing the surprise on her face he went on, "Come on Abs, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that 'garbage' is a code word for 'I love you'" she blushed, "Besides you didn't spend nearly a week with McGee trying to answer the questions to save your life, or an hour in interrogation with him." Abby looked to Gibbs shocked, he had interrogated McGee? "All I'm saying is don't write him off so soon and I think you mighta made a mistake when you let him go the first time." Had someone replaced Gibbs with an actual feeling person?

"Gibbs!" She was shocked, "Are you giving me permission to break rule twelve with McGee?" Was she in the twilight zone all of a sudden? Had she somehow been slipped more drugs by- No it wasn't possible!

"I doubt you'll be up for that anytime soon," Gibbs voiced, he had seen Reagan Mask's cuts and knew how painful they were. "But I suppose that depends on what your doctor says." he knew he was avoiding the question but he would give her permission. Rule twelve was basically so no psychos or increased feelings could cause problems, but McGee was no psycho and neither was Abby. And Abby wasn't in the field so he figured he would let them bend Rule twelve. "Just don't let him go because you think he'll leave you first." Gibbs had practically read her mind. "Or because he's too serious. He loves you Abs." Since when had he become McGee's personal cheerleader?

Since he knew that McGee would make her happy, that was when.


	24. I'm Your Man

I do not own NCIS or "At My Most Beautiful" by R.E.M. but I wish I owned McGee…sigh

This chapter title is based on a song by Leonard Cohen of the same name. It's a pretty good song that will give you some insight into McGee's head.

Just in case you're wondering, this might actually turn into a musical at some point, well maybe not exactly a musical but there will be more singing, definitely. If you didn't already know I'm sort of into music, actually strike that I'm obsessed with music, I'm sort of like Abby that way.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Special Agent Timothy McGee was headed to Bethesda Naval Hospital. It had been four days since he'd seen Abby in surgery. They had web chatted after that but they were quite strained with Gibbs there. She couldn't sleep most nights because of all of the drugs that she'd been given while she was being held captive. The hospital wouldn't let her have anything drug related at all because of ill side effects, not even anything to let her sleep.

She had been transferred to Bethesda late the night before, way after visiting hours had ended. McGee couldn't wait to see her in person. He'd picked up her favorite black roses and didn't think he could live if he didn't see her smile.

He walked up to the receptionist once he got there and gave her a smile. It was a wonderful day, wasn't it? "Hello" he spoke; he was so excited to finally see her. "I'm looking for Abigail Sciuto. Can you tell me what room she's in?"

The receptionist just smiled back. "May I ask who you are?" she popped her bubble gum exceptionally loud, "She can only have certain visitors."

McGee understood that. She had been kidnapped days earlier, Gibbs was just being careful. "I'm Timothy McGee," He voiced, "Her-" He didn't exactly know what to call himself, they'd had sex once and she disappeared.

"Ah" The receptionist responded, "The husband." The what? "Room 204, here's your visitor's badge."

"Thank you," McGee answered, trying not to look too overwhelmed. She did say "husband" right? Did he miss something? Maybe he just didn't understand her. He shook off the mistake and headed to the second floor, he would finally get to see Abby!

McGee found room 204 easily enough. It was practically right next to the elevator. He entered to find no Abby, but Tony sitting in the corner, reading his, Thom E. Gemcity's latest novel. McGee was quite confused and a little afraid. Now that Abby was safe, Tony could wail on him.

"Chill McLovin'," Tony voiced, "Your wife's just getting an MRI." At least she hadn't been kidnapped again, but that was the second time that Abby as his wife had shown up. "Don't worry McGee," Tony continued, setting down the book and looking to McGee, "I'm not going to wail on you, your wife needs you." There it was again, Abby as his wife, "But I am still miffed."

McGee knew he could make a joke about Tony and the dictionary but he refrained, instead. "Tony, why" How could he phrase it so it sounded right? "Why am I Abby's husband?" It wasn't that he wasn't enjoying it, it was just hinky. Had he not woken up that morning? Was he dreaming?

"Well you know McGiggles" Tony responded, "Usually when someone loves someone else and they want to sleep with that person, they do a thing that's kinda crazy but they put these rings on their fingers and that signifies-" He had to explain that as the really hot nurse walked by, McGee cut him off.

"Tony, come on" McGee pleaded, "What's going on?" It wasn't that he didn't like the thought, it was just a little hinky that they were suddenly more than just co-workers or more than just dating, were they even doing that? McGee was just plain confused.

"Gibbs didn't tell you?" Tony asked, the nurse was gone so they could talk freely. He took McGee's silence as a resounding 'no'. "Well they were going to transfer Abby to St. Julian's, the civilian hospital since she's not Navy, but Gibbs pitched a hissy fit and-" Not the words McGee would use to describe Gibbs and his anger.

"Did I, DiNozzo?" Gibbs was standing right behind them, fresh coffee in one hand and Gemcity's book in the other. After the usual, pained "Sorry, Boss" from DiNozzo, Gibbs went on. "After my hissy fit," he voiced, using DiNozzo's words, "They transferred her to Bethesda since you two are conveniently married. Since you are a Navy Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent and are dependent on the Navy, so is she. So don't screw this up." So it wasn't all a dream. It was all real, but their marriage was fake. It got McGee thinking. What would it be like to be married to Abby?

Well they'd live in DC, obviously and they'd be happily married. They'd have a white picket fence and a huge oak tree with a tire swing. Eventually they'd have four kids, Tobey, Laila and the twins, Victoria and Veronica. Of course, their kids would all be perfect with his sandy blonde hair and her alluring green eyes. They'd have Jethro and a cat, black of course, named Splotch. Eventually the kids would move out and have kids of their own and he and Abby would die of old age in their sleep at the same time. That would be the perfect scenario.

"Timmy!" He heard as his little dream scenario was just finishing up. He knew that voice! He turned and saw Abby half running, half limping toward him. Before he knew it she was there in his arms, she was alive and real and solid, in his arms, hugging him with all her might. She most definitely was not a picture on a computer screen. "I missed you so much!" She exclaimed hugging him tighter, if that was even possible.

McGee wasn't sure if he should hug her back or not, he definitely didn't want to hurt her anymore than he already had. "Abby, are you sure you should be out of bed?" He had seen her insides on the outside not even a week ago, he had a right to be worried, as her "husband" and as her- whatever he was.

"I'm perfectly fine, McGee" She voiced, "And you can even hug me if you want." It was like she could read his mind, "I've got enough padding so it doesn't hurt."

That was good enough for McGee, he pulled her into an embrace and never wanted to let her go ever again. He needed her more than he needed air, or so it seemed. If he never let her go nothing bad could happen to her ever again. He loved her and he knew at that moment that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He intended to ask her to marry him when all of the events of the last few weeks had died down and he would stick to that plan.

Abby finally felt safe in McGee's arms. After all of the torture and the pain and the surgeries and the MRIs and the CAT scans and the x rays and the transfers, she finally felt safe. She never wanted to let him go. If anyone asked at that moment, or any moment at all, the truth was that she had never really stopped loving McGee. That was why she had suggested, or rather forced him into her hearse after Kate had died and Ari had stopped shooting, and more recently after the Mexico-Gibbs-Ziva-Ceremony thing, and even more recently than that at his apartment. She was finally ready for their relationship to be more than just physical. She wouldn't make the same mistake she made earlier, she would not let him go, not ever for anyone else, especially not after Gibbs had given her specific permission.

"Mrs. Sciuto-McGee!" the nurse growled with such a Gibbs like quality that it was scary, "Bed, Now!"

Abby grumbled, she was done with the whole hospital scene. She was ready to get back to work, except for the whole broken hand bit. McGee had just gotten there and she had to get back in bed? Lame!

McGee knew she wasn't happy about it and neither was he, but he knew the nurse was right, "Come on Abby," he whispered as he took her in his arms gently as not to hurt her, "Back to be with you."

Abby cocked an eyebrow, "You want me in bed?" She questioned, "Kinky! I like it, Mr. McGee"

That was the Abby he knew and absolutely loved. He set her down and gently pulled the blankets over her. "You know what I mean," she did know what he meant, "And that is 'Very Special Agent' to you."

Gibbs cleared his throat, "Is it McGee?" It had been cute but now it was just awkward, with rule twelve and whatnot.

"Gibbs!" Abby pouted as McGee sat in the nearest chair, feeling quite awkward, "McGee wants me in bed!" She crossed her arms and winced, her broken hands were just something that she could not get used to.

"I already knew that Abs" Gibbs responded, was McGee mistaken or did he sound a little more lighthearted? "I thought that was why you married the 'very special agent'". It was all lighthearted fun, so not Gibbs like. They all laughed for a good few minutes.

McGee had let go of Abby just a few minutes earlier and he could already feel himself yearning for her again. He could feel every cell in his body reaching out for her. He needed her plain and simple. That was a fact.

Abby was feeling the same way. She'd spent days away from him and never wanted to spend a second away from him again. She could feel the familiar pull, pulling her toward him, to his magnetism, his essence, his Mcessence. To everything that made him McGee. She always felt that way at NCIS on the days after their roundez-vous, but she never had the heart to tell him. She thought he would find someone better and that their roundez-vous would eventually end. She was glad that they hadn't.

Gibbs knew McGee and Abby were aching for some physical contact again, aching to say things that needed to be said, especially what he had talked to Abby about. He knew they wanted privacy so he looked at his watch, "Tony, come on, let's get going," He voiced, trying not to give himself away. "It's almost naptime and Abby's safe with Tim." Gibbs knew he wouldn't have her with anyone else, she would ask about McGee the whole time.

"Boss?" Tony questioned. Wasn't Gibbs the one that had requested the non-stop 24-hour guard on Abby? Something just didn't add up, something was hinky.

"Who knows, maybe Tim can get Abby to sleep," Gibbs continued, "Since we all haven't been able to."

"Ok, boss" Tony answered, he was confused and worried he would get head slapped but he followed Gibbs out. "See ya later McMarried!"

Finally, they were alone! McGee practically rushed to Abby and she was ready for his warmth to return. It had been so long ago, hadn't it, since he held her.

"All Visitors out!" The same nurse from before bellowed with ferociousness almost as bad as Gibbs, "It's naptime!" She stopped at Abby's door and saw McGee. He was afraid that she would send him away but instead she surprised him, "You can stay but if you keep her awake, I swear you'll need a hospital bed." He could tell that she meant it.

As soon as she was out of earshot he commented, "Some bedside manner she's got!" He smiled, though at least she had said he could stay with Abby.

"You see what I've been dealing with?" Abby spoke, "Though I'd take her over Reagan Mask any day." They both froze. It was sort of a touchy subject, ok it was a really touchy subject. McGee didn't know exactly how to respond. Finally, Abby broke the awkward silence. "You know it's supposed to be naptime, Tim," She continued, "You look like you could use one." She was right, he hadn't really slept a wink since she was rescued, since she disappeared, "And I don't mean in that chair." She knew what she wanted.

McGee couldn't help but laugh, "You want me in bed?" He knew the joke.

"Oh yes" Abby responded, "Only every minute of every day." She knew just what buttons to push to make his motor run.

"Well ok then" He answered as she made room for him next to her, "But you have to at least try and sleep." He lay down next to her and after a few awkward minutes of making sure he wasn't on any wires or monitors, she burrowed herself into him. She was perfectly comfortable and so was he, but he could hear her sleepless mind whirring. She was thinking about something. "Please try to sleep Abby," He whispered into what was left of her hair.

"You try to sleep when you've got enough amphetamines running through your system to kill a large bull." She responded as she twitched. The drugs and the withdrawal were definitely having an effect on her. "It's impossible."

"Abby please try," McGee responded as he stroked her arm, "I'll be right here when you wake up, I promise." He was remembering the last time that he wasn't there and it pained him.

"The last time I slept, you disappeared." She voiced, it was the truth, she didn't want to hurt him in any way.

"I will be right here, I promise," McGee repeated without a second thought. He would never leave her willingly again, for as long as he lived, if that was possible, "Please try to sleep." He was starting to feel like a broken record.

"Ok" Abby mumbled. Then there was silence. For minutes, there was absolute silence. The kind of silence that McGee and Abby usually couldn't stand. After he was content that Abby had finally fallen asleep McGee closed his eyes. "Did you catch them?" Abby asked in less than a whisper, McGee knew she was still fearful.

"Them?" McGee answered back, then he realized it was probably one of the effects of the drugs, "Reagan Mask is dead." He explained, hopefully that would be enough to appease her, but didn't she already know that?

"What about him?" She couldn't bring herself to say his name and pollute the air; he was like poison running through her veins. She tensed up just at the thought of him.

"Him?" McGee questioned, "Abby, there was no evidence of anyone else there." he told her, "She's gone. You don't have to be afraid anymore." He pulled her closer to himself to make her feel better.

"McGee!" It didn't make her feel better, "He's going to come after me!" Abby exclaimed, "He's going to kill me because he couldn't finish the job!" She was hysterical, "He's going to get me!"

McGee tried to comfort her in her fit of hysterics; he was sure the nurse would come back and put him in a body cast if she knew how upset Abby was. "Abby, listen to me," he voiced, "No one is going to get you, do you hear me? No one." He moved down to look her in the eye, "Anyone who tried would be an idiot because they would have to deal with me," He knew that wasn't much of a threat, "And Tony and Gibbs," those were threats, "And Ziva." The biggest threat of all, McGee didn't even want to face Ziva, especially when she was angry. "No one is going to get you," he repeated, he wasn't even sure there was a someone else but he was going to reassure her nonetheless, "No one stands a chance if they try to get you." he kept a hand on her shoulder, "I'll make sure of that."

"Thanks McGee," Abby voiced, "I knew I picked the right husband." She laughed just slightly, the fear still there and McGee just pulled her closer to him without hurting her.

"Wait, picked?" McGee asked, he knew she had to sleep, or at least try, but he had to know, or it would eat at him.

"Of course" Abby responded, "It was between you and Ziva." McGee knew she was joking, "But when it came down to it Sciuto-McGee sounded better than Sciuto-David and Sciuto-DiNozzo and Sciuto-Mallard and Sciuto-Gibbs and-"

" I get it Abs!" McGee cut her off, he liked Sciuto-McGee just fine, and every time she mentioned her last name with his fellow co-workers it made him want to punch something.

"But I'm not done" Abby pouted, "And Sciuto-Vance, and Sciuto-Palmer and Sciuto- Callen and Sciuto-Hanna and Sciuto-Blye and Sciuto-Beal and Sciuto-Getz and Sciuto-Lange and Sciuto-Kentworth and Sciuto-Beardsley and Sciuto-Steiner."

"Are you done yet?" McGee asked, dejectedly but with an air of joke in his voice. It made him feel amazing that she was his, and he was hers.

"Oh and Sciuto-Shepard and Sciuto-Todd." Abby continued, "Now I'm done. I liked Sciuto-McGee the best, and because you kiss the best."

"You've kissed all of those people?" McGee asked, appalled if it were true.

"No" Abby responded, "Just you, and Kate, once by accident." That was all she would say on the matter.

"Abby," McGee laughed, "You're incredible." She smiled, her lacerations no longer bursting open, but healing. "Now sleep."

The smile disappeared from Abby's face, "I'll try," She responded, "But no promises."

"Abby, no one is going to get you" McGee reassured yet again, "Pinky promise," then he remembered her hands, "Cross my heart and hope to die," he rephrased. She cuddled in closer to him and he couldn't help it.

At my most beautiful

I count your eyelashes secretly

With every one whisper, "I love you"

I let you sleep

I know the closed eye watching me

Listening

I thought I saw a smile

I've found a way to make you

I've found a way

A way to make you smile

They both drifted off together in each other's arms.

**Don't worry readers, This story is far from over. Stay Tuned for the next installment! R&R!**


	25. The Demon Fighter, AKA Elflord

I do not own NCIS, but I wish I owned McGee…sigh. Why are all the good guys out there either taken or gay?

Back to the action!

Chapter Twenty-Five

Forensics Expert Abigail Sciuto was woken up by Ziva David. It was earlier than she was used to. Had she actually slept? That was shocking, she didn't expect herself to sleep, but she did. She rolled over to wake McGee and he was gone.

"Ziva" Abby voiced, "Where's Tim?" She was weirded out, didn't McGee say he wouldn't leave her? He had, and he had lied.

"He's waiting for me to take you to him, dawg" Ziva responded, but Abby knew something was wrong. Ziva was using slang, and really bad slang at that.

It was then that Abby saw her hands. "What happened to my hands?" She felt strange, "They were unrecognizable a few hours ago." They seemed perfectly fine at that time with perfectly sewn stitches all around her wrists,

"Well I transplanted them for you, Abby" Ducky spoke as he joined them. "You done asked me to. Don't you remember?" Ok, what was going on? Ducky had always called her Abigail, never Abby, and what had happened to his cute accent? And since when could hands be transplanted? And to whom did the hands belong?

"Ducky is the best hand transplanted in the area," Tony responded as he too joined them, "You know Duck, I was actually thinking of getting my boobs done." Wait What? Tony wanted his boobs done? What alternate universe had she woken up in?

"Where is Tim?" Abby asked again, she was getting more and more weirded out by the second.

"Well he's done right through there," Ducky voiced, pointing to a scary looking wooden door.

"But you'll need this foshizzle." Ziva continued ash she handed Abby a scalpel, there was the slang again, but Abby ignored it, she just wanted to find McGee.

"Good Luck!" Tony added as he cupped his chest, "So doc, about my boobs." Abby opened the door and they were gone.

The room was dark and silent and absolutely terrifying but Abby entered anyway. McGee was in there and she had to find him, she had to see him, no matter what the cost. Suddenly the door shut behind her, plunging the room into darkness. She could feel the restraints around her wrists again, holding her against the wall. She could feel all of her wounds reopening, she was bleeding all over again. She could feel him staring in the darkness.

"Where's Tim, you son of a bitch?" She yelled, more fearful than forceful. She didn't know if she could go through all of it again. She held the scalpel to her own throat, just as before and she couldn't pull it away. There was no music to break the stale air.

"Hello to you too, Abby" Dylan oozed charisma and gentleness, but Abby knew the truth, he was a rapist! "Tim is dead" A light nearly blinded Abby and then she saw him.

McGee was slumped over dead in the corner. He didn't even look like McGee anymore, but she knew under all of the blood and gore that it was her Timmy.

"And you're next" The dreaded sound of a zipper, "Welcome to Hell, Abby"

Abby screamed and then she finally realized, "This is all a nightmare!" She yelled as loud as she could, he couldn't hurt her anymore.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee held Abby as she flailed, screaming in her sleep. He knew it was because of the drugs and their effects. She was so vocal that Tony and Gibbs and a few of the doctors ran in.

"This is all a nightmare!" Abby screamed before she bolted upright, fully awake and in tears. She looked around at all of the people in her room and broke down. Her terrors were clearly not over.

McGee touched her shoulder gently, but she did not respond. Something in the dream must have set her off. She had started tossing and turning and flailing and then she said his name a few times. She screamed and then woke up. She was really shaken after her abduction, but McGee didn't blame her, he knew he would be too.

"Gibbs" She finally choked out through her sobs. He rushed to her at once without even so much as an objection, "I want to talk to Gibbs" She got out clearly.

"You heard her" Tony Voiced, "Are your names Gibbs? No? I didn't think so, so get out!" It was the fastest way he knew to get everyone out. He didn't care if he sounded like a jerk-off, Abby wanted Gibbs and it got the job done.

"McGee" Gibbs voiced as soon as everyone else was gone, McGee was looking pained and confused and out of place. Gibbs know she wanted him out, even though they had talked about her and McGee earlier. "Go get coffee with DiNozzo and Ziva. I'll come and get you later."

McGee didn't want to leave, "Boss, I-"

Gibbs cut him off, "It wasn't a request, now get outta here."

So McGee followed Tony out of Abby's room and down to the cafeteria. He hated to be away from Abby again but Gibbs was serious. What had scared Abby so bad? Then McGee remembered their conversation before she fell asleep. Could there really be someone else? Could there really be a man to go with Reagan Mask?

McGee got a crappy coffee with Tony and sat down at the table with Ziva who was taking her break. They all seemed drained but at least their poison oak was gone. It had been a tough week on all of them. McGee knew he had to ask, "Was there any evidence of anyone else there with Abby?" he asked just as the thought came to him.

"The Agents in Florida are handling the crime scene," Ziva responded, "but the only person found there was the Regent masked woman."

"Reagan, Ziva" Tony responded dully, "Reagan, like the president." They were all dead tired. "Where are you going with this, McSleep Deprived?" that wasn't a very good McNickname.

What did he have to lose? "Abby thinks there was a man there and I'm not sure what to think," McGee explained, "I mean Reagan mask was a woman but she was wearing a mask and using a voice changer so maybe with the drugs-" he stopped himself, he knew how stupid it sounded. "Abby is just really flustered and I have no idea how to handle it all" He admitted.

Tony leaned in to answer but stopped, "Gibbs alert!" He voiced looking shocked, "He looks pissed and he's heading this way."

If Gibbs was there, who was with Abby? No one was. She was alone.

McGee hopped up to head back, "Sitdown!" Gibbs barked, all one word, he was livid, white hot angry. "She's with the doctor!" McGee sat, he knew he was in shooting range and that scared him. What exactly had made Gibbs so angry? "Ziva, he voiced, the ire still in his voice, "I want you outside of Abby's room until I say otherwise." She understood. "Tony, call Florida NCIS and have them send all of their evidence from the crime scene." He'd learned his lesson last time with Ziva and Florida NCIS.

"On it Boss!" Tony responded as he flipped open his phone and headed for the elevator.

"McGee" Gibbs voiced, McGee waited, hopefully Gibbs would give him some answers. Of Course he didn't. "You don't leave that hospital room for anything. Do you understand me?" What had happened? "I told the staff and they won't give you any trouble." What had happened? "They'll even set up a bed for you" that was not what McGee wanted to know. What had happened to Abby that she needed a doctor? "She'll tell you when she's ready, McGee," He sure hoped so, "Now go" McGee didn't need to be told twice.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx **_

Special Agent Ziva David watched as McGee headed her way. He looked flustered, had Gibbs told him something that he hadn't told her and Tony? She would see if she could skunk it out. No, that wasn't the right word. What was? Whatever!

"The doctor is still in with Abby" She voiced, making sure McGee knew to wait. He stood next to her and waited, his mind awhirl with all of the horrible possibilities.

"Ziva?" McGee began, totally drained, "I don't know what to do," He admitted, "I don't know what I can do to help Abby the best way that I can." He sighed, "Part of me wants to stay and protect her forever and the other part of me wants to leave and keep her safe from all of the Thom E. Gemcity obsessed nuts!" He had a valid point, "What do I do?" That was the million dollar question, wasn't it?

Ziva was silent for a little while. When she finally did speak it was slow, she was thinking out every word. "McGee," she began, "When I was in Somalia so many things happened." She wouldn't go into any more details but McGee knew, he had seen her and had heard the rest from Tony. "Bad things." She added, he knew that much, "I had terrifying nightmares that I thought would never go away."

"Did they?" McGee asked

"Not all of them" Ziva answered truthfully, "But it does help to have someone there to scare them away." McGee knew she was talking about Tony, even though she wouldn't say his name. "Someone I knew would love me no matter what and who believes in me no matter what happened in Somalia." Was she talking about Tony? Really? Well to be fair, he had changed since Jean, "The only thing you can do right, McGee, is to be there." How very fortune cookie of her, "Protect her from the night terrors and the flashbacks." She knew he would bring up his book, "So you wrote a book, about all of us, you didn't tell them to come after you or Abby personally."

McGee knew she was right, "Thanks Ziva" He voiced as the door to Abby's room opened and two female doctors exited. McGee entered the room, unsure of what he'd find.

Almost as soon as he entered the room, Abby had attached herself to him. "Tim" she voiced as she practically squeezed all of the air out of him. "I just want this all to be over." He held her tight and carried her back to the bed, he knew she couldn't leave yet, though he didn't know why.

"I know Abs," he voiced, "Me too," he went on, "But I will be here no matter what happens. Wild Horses couldn't drag me away." He knew she loved that song and hoped he could convince her.

One of the machines in the room beeped quite loudly for several minutes. McGee knew not to mess with it, he wasn't going to let go of Abby anyway. He didn't even know which one it was. A nurse came in a few minutes later and had to reinsert Abby's IV.

Abby had been NPO, or nothing by mouth, for the past few days to make sure that there was no permanent damage to her insides after Reagan Mask's blade happy escapades. The IV was how she had been getting her nutrients. Abby wished it could be filled with Caf-pow but that wasn't really nutrients, so it was just clear Amino acids and vitamins in liquid form, nothing exciting at all.

A few minutes later the IV was reinserted and Abby was cuddling into McGee, he had his arms around her protectively. His mind was still racing, what had changed Gibbs' outlook so fast? What had caused all of the extra guards? What had her nightmare been about?

"Abby" He spoke gently, "I'm sorry that all of this happened." He knew better than to ask about her nightmare, Gibbs was right, she would tell him when she was ready.

"Tim" Abby responded "Why does it sound like you're about to leave?" it was an honest question. She did feel as if that was what he was saying.

"I'm not leaving" McGee responded truthfully as he stroked her shoulder, the only real place she wasn't injured. "I'm not leaving unless I take you with me." he went on, "You can't get rid of me that easily." he joked.

"Good" Abby responded, still afraid to tell him what she had told Gibbs, about what had happened in the dark when Reagan mask wasn't around. She was afraid McGee would take back everything that he had said, "I'm Glad".

Then they fell into silence again. The silence that McGee could not stand. "I know you'll have nightmares," He voiced, "But just remember I will always be right here to fight your demons, awake or asleep" He kissed a spot on her forehead where there were no stitches and felt Abby flinch away, just slightly. She was really quite spooked if just a simple kiss on the forehead seemed to make her shudder. McGee understood. "I'll always be right here." he repeated.

Abby didn't like that she shrugged away from even McGee. She knew that the events in Florida had messed her up, but she did not want to lose McGee. "Thanks Tim" she voiced. It would take time but she would be normal again, she would be Abby again.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo had arrived at Abby's hospital room. He joined Ziva in the guard. He'd called Florida NCIS and they said they would send up the evidence. Palmer was ready to work on it once again, with the help of a temp lab tech. Tony had gone to the hospital room per Gibbs' order. He didn't even know where Gibbs was but he didn't argue. At least he got to spend some time with Ziva, even if it was outside of a hospital room without privacy.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs met Ducky outside the hospital on one of the benches facing the grounds. He had to talk to him about certain things, away from certain ears.

"Jethro" Ducky began as he sat, "I know what you are going to ask and the answer is I do not know. Abby's recovery depends on several factors that could change with every passing minute." He paused, he didn't mean for it to sound that dramatic, "She'll live of course, but her mind could never be the same." He sipped his tea, "He hands are a complete mystery and her face and torso will most likely scar." Ducky was actually staying on topic, he was obviously just as flustered as Gibbs. "What I can tell you is that she had been through absolute hell and that only time will tell."

"And Tim?" Gibbs asked looking straight ahead at the gardens. He had to make sure that McGee would not become him, feel the pain that he felt everyday.

"He's quite overwhelmed" Ducky voiced, "First she's kidnapped, tortured and nearly killed and now she's having night terrors. He's taking it as expected, but nothing is really expected in these situations" Ducky voiced his opinions, "Time will tell but I do not think he will turn into you." That was what Gibbs wanted to know, wasn't it?

"Thanks Duck" Gibbs voiced as he stood from the bench, "Keep me posted. I do not want to lose a forensics scientist, or an agent." Ducky knew that rang true for him too. "Hopefully I'll catch this bastard before we do" he finished his coffee and tossed it away before he tread to the parking lot and to his car. He would not let that bastard that did all of that to Abby get away, he didn't even want to let him live.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Forensics expert Abigail Sciuto was having the nightmare again.

"Hello Again Abby" Dylan Schmoozed "Welcome to Hell" Again the sound of a zipper. Abby was tempted to scream but didn't. she knew she was in control.

"You can't hurt me." She voiced, reinforcing the fact that she knew was true. "Timmy, are you there?"

Then McGee appeared and took her no longer broken hand and they were outside on a beautiful spring day watching the clouds with nothing to scare her or make her scream. It was the perfect dream date. Even Jethro showed up and they all played fetch on the grass of the park. The laughter never seemed to end and McGee never left her side.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Forensics Expert Abigail Sciuto awoke to McGee staring at her, the smile plastered on his face. Abby wanted to know what had made him so happy, but first she wanted to show him that she was on the road to recovery, so she kissed him on the cheek, not quite ready for lip contact yet. She knew that that could lead to more frightening things, not frightening with McGee but she still couldn't face it.

McGee was happy with what he could get. Just a simple kiss on the cheek meant she was at least making some sort of progress in the right direction. He kept his eyes on hers for just a few seconds more before blinking, he didn't want to see her disappear again, just like every other time he blinked. He could feel her warmth next to him so he knew she was still there. Still the goofy smile had not disappeared from his face.

"What are you so happy about today, Tim?" she asked, his happiness infectious and spreading to her too. She used to love that about being with him and she still did. That was a good sign.

McGee was silent for just a few more seconds. Taking all of Abby in over and over and over again, stitches and scars and tattoos and all. "Good morning" He voiced, kissing that same spot on her forehead, "Congratulations on sleeping all the way through the night."

Yeah, she knew she was making progress. She would be normal again, or at least as normal as she was. What is normal anyway?


	26. Help Me, Heal Me

I do not own NCIS, but I wish I owned McGee…Sigh

Welcome back! Did you miss the action?

Chapter Twenty-Six

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo got out of the backseat of Gibbs' car and headed into the hospital, leaving Ziva and Gibbs alone to wait outside. It was finally the day that Abby was being released from the hospital, after all of the crazy events had transpired. Tony was on retrieval duty. He thought it was better than preparation duty, which was what McGee had.

Sure, Tony liked Abby and he wouldn't mind helping her get ready, but there was such a thing as getting too friendly, or too touchy grabby with the forensics scientist. Also he knew she could kill him without any forensics trace. He also knew that McGee could hit him and break his perfect nose-again. He had declined for good reason.

The hospital was relatively quiet, or at least so it seemed, there were no real emergencies, no reason to rush. Tony took his time as he headed to Abby's room. He smiled at all of the nurses and nodded to all of the doctors, just to be friendly. Really he was just glad that Abby was done with the hospital, he'd always hated it since he'd contracted Pneumonic Plague years earlier.

Tony couldn't help but stop as he heard two nurses in the nurse's lounge. They were talking about McGee and Abby, that much Tony knew, so he stayed and listened.

"I can't believe she's leaving today" one nurse began, "She was the nicest Goth that I have ever met." she was definitely talking about Abby.

"Yeah" The other one answered, "I'm more worried about losing the hunk that's been staying with her. He was just" She paused, "Wow!"

The first one laughed, "You know he's Thom E. Gemcity, right?" one of them gasped, "And that they're married, and happily it seems" Since when did McGeek and Abby- oh right!

"Do you think he'll sign my copy of _Deep Six_?" The second one continued, "Can we ask him or is that tacky?"

"I can ask him for you" Tony interrupted, "It would be my honor" The nurses followed him as far as the elevator, where they waited for their signed copies of Thom E. Gemcity's first book.

Tony stopped as he neared Abby's room. He wasn't really sure what was going on but it sounded quite kinky. That was the last thing he wanted to walk in on, especially with the week that he'd had.

"No McGee" Abby spoke, "I'm not doing it, it's going to hurt." Since when was that excuse plausible? Oh right, with all of the stitches and broken body parts.

"Come on Abs" McGee begged, Tony imagined that happened a lot, the begging, "You've got to, I need you to." Whoa there McDesperate! "Come on, I've got it all ready." Just his luck, Tony had arrived just in time to be disgusted.

"McGee, I am not putting that thing in me and you wouldn't either if you knew where it had been." Abby was adamant and Tony was disgusted.

"It's just in your mouth" McGee explained, Tony felt his breakfast coming back, that was an image he didn't need. "You know you want to."

"Fine" Abby broke down, but she wasn't convinced, "But I won't like it" she sighed, "Let's get this over with."

It only got worse from there, especially for Tony.

"McGee! You're getting it everywhere!"

"Only because you're wiggling!"

"Well you would to if you had that thing in your face"

"Abs come on, it's not that bad"

"How would you know? You don't have a-" Tony knew it was time to interrupt, he was about to lose his breakfast.

"Alright, Alright!" He voiced as he walked in, ready to shield his eyes at any moment. "What would Gibbs say about you two and rule-" He stopped, they weren't doing anything wrong. McGee was trying to get her to let him brush her teeth. Was there a rule about brushing teeth? Tony felt like an idiot but played it off, "Carry on McDentist." He leaned against the door casually.

"Come on, Abs" McGee repeated, ignoring Tony, "You don't want to get a cavity" She knew he was right, "No Sciuto has had a cavity since 1929." he quoted her own words.

"1927, Probie." Tony corrected, it was a Probie mistake, McGee should have known better. He flipped through one of the copies of _Deep Six_. "Gibbs and Ziva are waiting."

"We'll be right there Tony" McGee responded, "Once Mrs. Sciuto-McGee lets me brush her teeth." Tony knew he was enjoying being married to Abby experience.

"I'm not putting that ratty, disgusting toothbrush in my mouth." Abby was adamant, "Especially after you dropped it on the floor!" Even Tony cringed.

"I rinsed it off!" McGee defended himself.

"Do you know how many germs are on the floor, McGee?" Abby asked, then she took a different approach, "If you're so confident it's clean, you use it."

McGee paused and looked at the toothbrush, "I'll get you another one." He spoke before he slumped off in shame.

"So how are you holding up Abs?" Tony asked as he moved into the room.

"Just fine, Tony" Abby responded, "Unless you count the fact that my hands are still broken, I've got more stitches than a rag doll and McGee is trying to kill me with a dirty toothbrush."

Tony knew he shouldn't have asked, "Well look on the bright side Abs," he spoke, "You're getting out today. That's good right?"

"Tony" Abby voiced, slightly annoyed., "I know you're trying to help but you don't have a catheter shoved up your urethra and you can use your hands, so just shut it, ok?" Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed, Tony knew he should shut up. He was silent until McGee returned.

When McGee returned he found Abby stone-faced and Tony hidden behind _Deep Six _for the countless time. Though he couldn't help but wonder why he had two copies. "Tony?" He questioned.

"Two really hot nurses want you to sign them," Tony explained as he put the book down, "So when you get a chance."

"Sure, sure" McGee responded, Tony knew Abby was his first priority as it should be. "Come on Abby" he spoke to her, Tony could see the stress on his face. "It's totally clean and sterile, I promise." He showed her the toothbrush in it's unbroken plastic.

She opened her mouth without another word and they finally were able to get moving. Tony waited to escort them out.

Forty-five minutes later Abby, McGee and Tony piled into the backseat of Gibb's car. Abby in polo shirt of Gibbs' and a pair of his pants. Her normal clothes were too tight with all of the stitches and gauze. Once they were all situated in the back, Tony behind Ziva in the passenger seat, Abby in the middle, and McGee behind Gibbs, Gibbs started the car.

Abby instantly noticed they were going the wrong way. "Gibbs" She spoke, "You're going the wrong way. My apartment is in-"

"I know Abs" Gibbs responded calmly, "We're not going to your apartment. It's in the basement of NCIS anyway."

Abby didn't know what to say. "Well I'm not going to McGee's place," she explained, "It's cursed. First Michael Mawh-"

"I know that too Abs" Gibbs was completely calm as Abby was nearly in a fit of hysterics. "You're staying at my place" He voiced as they got onto the freeway, "You all are, until we find this Bastard."

No one spoke for a while after that. McGee was thinking about what he and Abby would do once the guy was caught, if there was another guy, They couldn't exactly go back to his trashed apartment, and hers was in the basement of NCIS; at least they'd be close to work, Really, who was he kidding?

Abby noticed that Tony was leaning as far away from her as possible. That annoyed her, usually they were on pretty good terms. "Jesus Christ Tony!" She exclaimed, "You can sit next to me like normal." Something was definitely up, she was seriously annoyed. "I'm injured, it's not like I have the plague!" she knew it was a poor choice of words, but it got the point across.

Tony knew he should apologize, "Sorry, Abby" he mumbled as he looked to her then out the window at the surroundings. Everyone in the car knew that something was up with Abby, but only McGee and Abby knew what it really was.

The rest of the car ride to Gibbs' house was silent. It was best that way, anything seemed to set Abby off so they all decided not to risk it. Even Gibbs knew Abby could be scary when she wanted to be.

Gibbs pulled into his driveway and turned the car off. He unlocked the doors and everyone got out. McGee helped Abby out but said nothing. He knew Abby was in a mood, but didn't exactly want to confront her.

"Everybody in the living room" Gibbs voiced as he unlocked his front door and let everyone else in. No one went against Gibbs. Tony, Ziva, McGee and Abby waited in the living room as Gibbs locked the door and set the alarm system that he had installed. He knew Abby was worried about a second attacker and he took all of the precautions needed. Minute later he returned. "Since we're all staying here, some ground rules" He began, "Rule Number 1: Curfew is midnight. You're not in the house, you're locked out." That was pretty reasonable, for Abby's safety. "Rule Number 2: Clean up your own damn messes, I'm not your damn mother." Again, reasonable with that many people in the house. "Rule Number 3: This is not a frat house. No juvenile drinking games or pranks. DiNozzo, I'm looking at you." In all fairness, DiNozzo was the most apt to pull pranks. "Rule Number 4: I don't care what you do with each other but I expect my sheets sanitized, sterilized, and any other -ized verb you can think of." It did make sense, dirty sheets were no picnic.

Of course all Tony heard was "break rule twelve all you want." He smiled, it would be just like college again, but with Ziva. McGee didn't know what to think of Tony's wicked smile, he just hoped he wouldn't walk in on Tony and Ziva, and that Abby would be herself again, eventually.

"Room Assignments" Gibbs went on, everyone was shocked, that was the most they had ever heard him speak at one time, and he wasn't even done. "Abby and McGee, master bedroom." The only bedroom with it's own bathroom. "Tony and Ziva, guest room, Ziva you can use Kelly's room is DiNozzo's being an asshat." That was an offer that Ziva would not take, she knew Kelly's room was sacred to Gibbs, that he had kept it as a shrine to her since she had been murdered years earlier, "Let's just all try to get along shall we?" He voiced, "With any luck we'll catch this guy and be back to business as usual." He didn't know how long he could last seeing all of them twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

It was then that Jimmy palmer and Ducky came in with Jethro and all hell broke loose. Jethro barked and knocked McGee to the ground, licking his face happily, Abby hoped up onto the couch to avoid the threat of a dog, a new trait she wasn't proud of, Tony and Ziva pulled their sigs, a reflex to Abby's cry of fear and Gibbs just watched it all, unsure of what to do. Of course he went to Abby first.

"Come on, Abs" He spoke gently as he reached out to her, attempting to catch her before she teetered through the window and onto the front lawn, that was the last thing they needed. "I'll take you upstairs." He picked her up once he was close enough and headed to the stairs as Tony and Ziva holstered their weapons and McGee got reacquainted with Jethro, who had severely missed him.

Once upstairs Gibbs helped Abby out of his jacket and sat with her as her tears of fear dried. He knew it couldn't be easy for her, being captured, tortured, and drugged out of her mind.

"Your Mother called me" He voiced as he brushed one of the unusually long strands of hair out of her eyes. "Said you told her to if you ever missed a week of chats with her" He placed a gentle hand on her uninjured shoulder, "That's good thinking Abs."

"We usually Skype everyday" Abby responded, "I just didn't want her to worry, you know?" She paused, "Was I really in that god- awful place a week?" Time had been a blur to her.

"Ten days." Gibbs explained, "The worst ten days of McGee's life," So not a Gibbs response, "And the worst ten days of mine in the last few decades." _Since Shannon and Kelly, _the words he would not say.

Abby didn't know how to respond, since she had been abducted everything seemed to have changed. Luckily she didn't have to respond, since Ducky arrived with a knock on the open door.

"Hello, Abigail" He spoke, thankfully with no country drawl, but his usual accent. "Would you allow me to take your vital signs?"

Abby was used to that by then. Since she was in the hospital it seemed to be nothing but vital signs and more vital signs. "Sure, Ducky" She responded, neither for of against it.

Ducky expected her to not be herself but she seemed downright depressed, he wanted to know what was going on in her head, "How are you feeling today?" he asked as he slipped the blood pressure cuff over the brachial artery on the arm that wasn't needle marked to hell, and pumped it up.

"Fine" Abby responded, reserved, carefully choosing her answers. Ducky knew that was all he was going to get out of her.

"Any new pain?" Ducky continued as he finished pumping up the blood pressure cuff around her arm.

"Ducky, when will I be normal again?" Abby exclaimed almost as fast as the thought entered her mind. "I can't stand McGee being all romantic without flashing back to that hell hole. I can't even handle Jethro and I used to love both of them more than I could ever describe."

Ducky took down her blood pressure and started to count her thready pulse, "Well Abigail," he started, "These things take time. The physical injuries will heal but the psychological trauma might be permanent. It is quite different for everyone." He saw the dejected look on her face, "But I am sure you will be back to terms with our young Timothy and Jethro in no time." he put the thermometer under her tongue and continued on, "Of course that is all up to you."

"Whaff deud le biffhh druuh meh wiff?" Abby stuttered over the thermometer, Ducky still understood.

"A treacherous cocktail of amphetamines, ecstasy and LSD" Ducky answered, "It's a wonder that you are still with us, especially with all of the injections." He documented her temperature and pulse. Gibbs gave him a look that just about asked, "How did you understand all of that?" Half of the time he couldn't understand her when she spoke English, " Jethro, I am a product of a Scotsman and an English Barmaid, it's in my nature to understand." he turned back to Abby. "Abigail, may I empty your catheter bag?" It was the last of his tasks on his pre-made list to help Abby.

"Why not Duck-man" Abby responded, it was embarrassing but she knew it needed to be done regularly. Gibbs waited out of the bathroom, he kept his seat on the bed.

Minutes later, Abby was back in the bedroom, catheter bag empty, in bed, resting. Ducky and Gibbs were heading down the stairs.

"So?" Gibbs asked.

Ducky knew what he wanted to know, "She seems to be behaving appropriately," He responded, "though as I stated before, only time will tell."

"With that cocktail of drugs you mentioned," Gibbs began, "Would there be hallucinations?"

"Of course, Jethro" Ducky answered, "LSD and Ecstasy combined, it's a wonder she was able to keep her grasp on reality."

"So this man she claims to be there" Gibbs didn't want to doubt his forensics Scientist and her experiences but he had to know, "Could he be a hallucination?"

"He could be" Ducky answered, "But the lab tests show that something definitely happened, whether it was her captor or another person is undeterminable." That was not what Gibbs wanted to hear. "I'm not saying that he does, or does not exist, just give it time and we'll see what happens." That was the best he could do, it would do no good to chase imaginary rapists.

Abby flinched as the events in the dark of the dungeon played over and over again in her head. Would it never end?

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee couldn't help but watch as Tony followed Ziva to the guest room. He knew that look in his eye and doubted he would get any sleep. Gibbs had gone to work on his boat and Ducky and Palmer had turned in in the living room, on the pull out bed in the couch and floor, respectively. McGee opened the door to the master bedroom and found Abby in a fitful sleep.

It pained him. He'd been watching her toss and turn and mumble in her sleep for days. He wished he could do more but he didn't know what else he could do. He had already told her he would be there to do whatever he could, but what else could he do?

"I'm trying Abs" he whispered, "I'm doing the best I can" He knew he couldn't sleep, he was too worried, so he kissed her on the forehead and went to talk to Gibbs. Just watching him work on his boat was cathartic. He knew Abby could awaken, she had been asleep for hours, so he left a note and kept the door open, just in case.

McGee found Gibbs screwing( screws into) his boat, by hand, with the news at a dull roar and a half empty mason jar of bourbon. Gibbs, of course, noticed him right away, and emptied another mason jar for McGee.

"Something on your mind, McGee?" The thought of paying admission to his basement crossed his mind but he shooed it away. "Bourbon?" he asked next, as McGee reached the bench next to the boat.

McGee paused, he wasn't exactly sure how to put it all into words. "Yes to the first question and no, thank you to the bourbon." He remembered the last time he had bourbon, he couldn't taste for a week. "It's about Abby" he continued on, though Gibbs already knew that. "What if she never recovers?" he asked, "Or worse, what if she recovers and realizes this is all my fault and leaves me for Tony or worse, Kentworth? What if because I'm Thom E. Gemcity, I get her killed? What if-"

Gibbs cut him off, "Do you love her, Tim?" he asked, he was fairly certain he knew the answer but he could be wrong. His gut was telling him he knew, his gut was never wrong.

"What?" McGee responded, lost in his thoughts of doom, the question had caught him off guard.

"Do you love her?" Gibbs repeated, slower, "It's a simple question, Tim. Yes or no?"

"Of course I love her Gibbs!" McGee responded, "I've always loved her, it seems." That was what Gibbs wanted to hear, "But what if I hurt her again? What if I can't stop the nightmares? What if I can't stop this guy and she dies?" McGee was starting to freak out again.

"What did her doctors tell you?" Gibbs asked, it was forward enough for McGee to have to consider his answer, and resist freaking out again.

"They don't know Gibbs" McGee answered, "With the drugs and the trauma they don't know if she'll ever be the same or even if she'll be able to have kids." So that was the main concern, among other things. Gibbs stayed quiet and McGee continued on. "When her captor tortured her and drugged her and then she lost the baby, and then with the Y incision," McGee almost couldn't go on, "The scalpel nearly sliced her uterus in two." there, he had said it. "What if she never forgives me for this?" His biggest fear, he was fighting back tears.

"You love her, Tim" Gibbs responded, "and that should be enough." That wasn't what McGee was expecting, especially not from Gibbs, "But you've got to tell her and mean it." McGee knew that but he didn't want to scare her away. "Code words can only get you so far." McGee understood completely.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo couldn't believe it. After all of the waiting with the poison oak and the disappearance of Abby and finally they had time to get together and Ziva was snoring. Snoring, as in deep sleep. Snoring! He couldn't believe his luck, and right after Gibbs had given them permission to break rule twelve and in his own house! What rotten luck!

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Forensics expert Abigail Sciuto awoke in complete darkness. She instantly flashed back to the dungeon and her captors. She couldn't help but let out a scream. She knew it was stupid to be afraid of the dark, but she wasn't being rational. She feared for her life.

Within seconds the lights were on and everyone was standing in the doorway, Ziva in her grenade patterned pajamas, Tony in his silk boxers, Gibbs holding a hand drill and Ducky and Palmer looking shocked. Gibbs, Tony and Ziva had their sigs out and McGee had her in his arms within seconds. It didn't seem like he had slept at all and Abby could see that it was almost three in the morning.

She knew she was causing them all unnecessary pain but she did not know what to do about it. She knew that she had loved McGee, and that she still did somewhere deep down, and she knew that she used to love Jethro. And she also used to be able to take care of herself and not be afraid of the dark and what had lurked in that dark.

She knew things had changed, and not for the better, and she hated herself for that. She knew that her co workers and lover, at one point, didn't need all of the stress associated with her so she knew she had to put an end to it.

McGee decided not to tell her how he loved her at that time. He just held her in his arms and said nothing. He would regret that later.

**Dun Dun DUN!**


	27. Stay With Me

I do not own NCIS, but I wish I owned McGee…sigh

I'm baaaaack! Prepare for stomach flips and Loop de loops!

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Special Agent Ziva David watched as Tony seemed to inhale his scrambled eggs. she knew it wasn't attractive to her usually, the way he ate, but since they had begun to date, or more accurately sleep together, suddenly it was. No one else seemed to find it attractive. Everyone but Abby was sitting at Gibbs' kitchen table, enjoying breakfast.

"Come on Tony" McGee voiced, "Save some for Abby" The empty seat next to him was for her, just in case she awoke and wanted breakfast.

"I left her some" Tony responded as he indicated to the bowl that had the last remnants of scrambled eggs. "Besides, Ducky made enough to feed a small army. I doubt she'll be starving anytime soon."

It was true, there was a lot of food. Before anyone else was even awake Ducky had gone to the supermarket and stocked up on breakfast supplies. By the time everyone else was up he had made a full breakfast with eggs, sausage, toast, pancakes and coffee and tea. He had forgotten nothing. Even the tofu bacon that Tony didn't know was Tofu.

"If she gets any!" Palmer interjected

"Go back to your pancakes Autopsy Gremlin!" Tony responded as he took yet another piece of toast.

Palmer was about to reply but stopped. Abby had entered the kitchen and all conversations and clattering forks had stopped. Abby hated the feeling that she was on display, even if it was with everyone she knew and at one time had loved-no! She still loved them, no matter what!

"Are you hungry, Abs?" Gibbs broke the awkward silence, "We can make up a plate for you." After that everyone went back to their tasks of eating and chattering.

Abby took the chair next to McGee without a word and watched as he abandoned his own food to feed her. She hated that. She wished she could take care of herself so he wouldn't keep abandoning his own body. She suffered through a few bites, the food was wonderful, but she couldn't stand to see McGee neglecting himself any longer.

"I'm going to shower" She finally spoke before she left the table by herself.

Tony instantly perked up, a reflex from his womanizing days. Some of his best fantasies involved showers and naked women. Ziva knew this, Gibbs knew it too.

"Ziva" He spoke, "Go help Abby." He wasn't about to take any chances with Tony, or even McGee, in Abby's fragile state. "I'll show you how to work the shower." With that he and Ziva left the table.

"Well I've got a golf game calling" Ducky spoke as he stood, "Mr. Palmer, whenever you are ready."

"Yes Doctor" And with that they were going from the table too, leaving Tony and McGee.

"Can you imagine it, McGee?" Tony asked, "Ziva and Abby, showering together?" Tony seemed too excited for McGee's liking.

"Tony" McGee responded, "She's injured, there's nothing even remotely sexual about it. Ziva's just helping her." Truthfully, he had thought about it.

"Come on McPrude!" Tony exclaimed, "Tell me you can't imagine it!" He changed to his announcer voice. "In a world of fluffy fluffy loufas and sudsy sudsy bubbles, the sexy ninja chick and the smokin' forensics scientist in the steamy throws of passion that is-"

Gibbs was suddenly there, head slapping Tony. "Don't even go there, DiNozzo!" he voiced, "It's not that kind of shower and never will be." Tony's face dropped, "So go do those dishes" Tony knew not to argue and started to clear the table. "McGee" He voiced next, "You get up there and you talk to Abby. I don't care what it takes you just tell her what we talked about." He reached the freezer and pulled out a small caf-pow, he knew just that was pushing it. "Tony seems to have 'eavesdropper' written all over his face." McGee couldn't agree more, it was either that or "voyeur".

McGee headed up to the master bedroom and sat on the bed, where Abby would see him when she got out of the shower. He didn't know how he would get Ziva to leave but he'd figure that out when he came to it.

Forty-five minutes later Ziva lead Abby out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel. She had not intended McGee to be there. She knew by the look on his face that she should leave. She was gone within seconds leaving Abby and McGee alone.

From the minute she saw him, Abby avoided his eyes. She instantly drifted to the window and would not move. McGee knew she was planning something, an escape perhaps, so he locked the door and stood in front of it. He didn't think she'd jump out the second story window.

He knew he should probably speak first, since she obviously wasn't going to. "Abby" he spoke, "Listen to me," She barely even moved, she was adamant not to, no matter what he said. "I know that this is all my fault. I know that because of me you got hurt and nearly killed." He sounded so pained, so sincere. "I am so sorry." How many times had he apologized already? "I know I can't change what happened or make it any better but I would do anything to change it, take it all back. Take it all back and make it me in that chamber instead. I wish it was me there." He paused, realizing what he had actually said, "I wish it was me." he repeated, more conviction in his voice.

He paused, he didn't know where to go from there. What more could he say? He expected her to at least say something by then, but she had remained absolutely silent, and as cold as a forgotten statue. McGee was about to give up and let her stay silent, face Gibbs' ire by himself, but something stopped him.

"I don't" Abby responded, not turning from the window quite yet. She watched as Ziva threw the tennis ball for Jethro and he brought it back to her. That happened three more times before she spoke again. McGee was stunned, just those two words seemed to fill him with such hope, though he didn't exactly know why. "If she had taken you I'd never see you again." She went on, "She would have killed me but she would have taken you away forever." She watched as Jethro dug to bury the ball for later. "It had to be me." She was doing her best to cope with the current situation. She still loved McGee, that was for certain, but she knew she had to let him go. She was only dragging him down as she slowly died from the inside out. She refused to face him, it would just make it that much harder to do the already impossible.

McGee knew he had to say something more. She wasn't convinced. She had to know that he felt just the same as she did, about so many things. "I know I've lost-" he paused, that wasn't right, "You've lost-" That wasn't right either, sure she had lost ,and lost a lot but that wasn't where he was going. He knew it was a bit too soon but he needed to get the point across. "We've lost so much." He placed a gentle hand on her bare shoulder and she collapsed into sobs. It was the topic that neither of them wanted to bring up but that needed to be addressed. Their child that would never get the chance to be born.

"I'm so sorry Tim" Abby wailed through hysterics and water works, "I meant to tell you, I meant for you to know and then it was all gone." McGee pulled her into a gentle embrace since she didn't have all of her usual padding, just a towel, "I never meant for any of this to happen." She continued on, wailing still.

McGee quieted her gently, "None of that matters now" He spoke gently, "I would have loved you and that child with all of my heart," He testified, it was the truth, "But I love you all the more for surviving, for living through that hell, for sticking it to that bitch and surviving whatever it took." He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes but he held them back. "I love you Abigail Sciuto and I'm not going anywhere." he meant that, every word he said.

"But Tim," She sniffed quietly, "You don't deserve this." In her mind that was what she truly thought. "You deserve a beautiful, natural, unscarred, untutored, blonde woman that can take care of your needs the way that I can't. Who doesn't look like a rag doll and has the use of her hands." Deep down, she knew it would always end that way, they were never meant to last long, no matter how many times they dated, it would always end, and never really on the best terms.

McGee was flabbergasted. Was she breaking up with him, again? In a way she was, by trying to push him away. In the back of his mind he knew he had played the "love" card too soon, again. He couldn't stand that. "Do you think that's all that matters to me?" He asked, "Beauty and an ass?" he couldn't help but laugh at the severity of the situation, "Who do you think I am, DiNozzo?" She was silent again, unresponsive. "No Abby" He spoke, all trace of joke gone. "I love you for you, whether you're scarred or not, tattooed or not, natural or not. I love you for you. I always have." He smiled, "The sex is just a bonus, a bonus level if you will." he admitted. "And what's wrong with me taking care of your needs?" he continued, he could feel her aversion to it. "I love you, I will always love you no matter what you or anyone else says. I will never leave you." She had to know that he was standing his ground, for once.

Abby was still silent. She could think of various things to say but none of them seemed right. She knew that the only way she could let her trauma go was to reveal everything, if McGee meant what he had said and he wasn't lying he would hopefully stay. She knew she had to take that chance.

McGee waited anxiously in the silence of the morning. He could feel the stitches on her bare back through the towel and he knew her tattoos and her body would never be the same but he didn't care. He had meant what he said.

Finally Abby spoke, McGee could feel the salty tears soaking into his shirt and he could hear her sniffles but he could hear her just fine through his shirt. "He raped me, Tim" she exclaimed, "Over and over and over again!"

McGee just held her. He was unsure of what he should say or do, so he just held her as she continued to sob. She needed to know that he wasn't going anywhere, no matter what. He had said what he meant and meant what he had said. Minutes later the thought struck him. "We have to tell-"

Abby cut him off. "I already told Gibbs" she explained, could that be why he was so goal oriented at the hospital, and why Abby had been alone with the female doctors? "There was no evidence, no trace at all, no proof that he existed. It had all been washed away."

That infuriated McGee to no end. He was starting to understand how Gibbs felt. "I will personally kill that son of a bitch!" he fumed, "With my bare hands!" the same carnal rage flowed through his veins as when he had hit Tony. He had to remember not to crush Abby in his arms.

Suddenly he was on the bed, Abby on top of him, giving him the best kiss of his life, better than he had ever remembered any of her other kisses. His rage had dissipated and her towel had slipped down. He could feel her bandaged useless hands reaching for his boxers waistband. He had to remind himself to stop.

"Abby what are you doing?" he asked as he removed his mouth from her hungry counterpart. It wasn't that he didn't like it, it was just it wasn't the right time.

"I want to prove to you-"

"Abby" he voiced "You don't have to prove anything to me, or anyone else." He told her as he kissed her forehead. "I already know." He pulled the towel back over her, where it had slipped down. A few seconds passed before he went on. "Let's get you dressed" it wasn't that he wasn't enjoying it, it was the fact that Pneumonia was the last thing she needed.

McGee went to the medicine cabinet to get the gauze and then wrapped Abby's wounds, giving special attention to the Y incision. He had noticed how gruesome it really was, even after a few days. The incisions were still red and puckered and ghastly looking. The incision had been much larger than needed, starting from her clavicles and continuing way past her naval and below. McGee couldn't even imagine the pain she was in. After she was all wrapped up and secured, McGee dressed her in a loose pair of boxers and one of Gibbs' old t-shirts. That was when he remembered the caf-pow.

"I brought you something to cheer you up" He voiced, even though he was fairly sure she had already seen it.

"Would that be a caf-pow?" Abby responded as her eyes shifted to the bedside table and the caffeine drink.

"Yes it would be," McGee answered, "Feel free to enjoy as I shower."

"Oooh!" She exclaimed, "The two things I love: shower fantasies and Caf-pows!" Abby answered slowly getting back to her old self.

"You will be ok while I shower, right?" McGee asked, unsure.

"Oh it will be tough" Abby spoke, "With just my small small caf-pow and my quite stimulated imagination." She winked and McGee knew she would be just fine.

McGee was quite happy, things had been fixed with Abby, she was safe and loved him again. He couldn't help but hum as he headed for the shower. Things were going to be just fine.

The fifteen minutes that he was away from her to shower and dress seemed like an eternity, even though he knew he had been away from her for much longer before. He couldn't imagine being away from her again. He loved her too much.

When he came out of the bathroom, clean, refreshed and dressed, he found her on her back, the caf-pow abandoned, her face in a grimace of pain. He instantly rushed to her.

"Abby, what's wrong?" He asked as he stretched an arm out to her, unsure if he would only make the pain worse.

Abby pouted it in her pain. "He turned me into an addict!" She unfolded her arm to reveal the several raised needle marks. "I have a headache, I'm colder than an icicle, dizzier than a cyclone, I feel like crap and I can't take anything for it."

McGee sat down next to her, "Well let's fix that" He responded as he pulled the blankets down so she could get into bed. She moved under the blankets and he tucked her in before he went to the other side and got in. "Just call me your personal heater. I'm yours for the rest of eternity."

Abby was silent for a while, so long that McGee thought she had finally fallen asleep again. Finally she spoke. "You know I'd warm up a lot faster if we were naked." That was general knowledge and McGee was not impressed, she knew they couldn't because of a "strenuous activity" ban and it was only slightly torturing him; he was, after all, a male and breathing.

" I thought you had a headache and were dizzy" McGee responded in a whisper.

"I do" Abby whispered back, "What are you going to do about it?" That was a good question, what would he do about it?

McGee took his warmed hands and put them to her face, gently holding her face in his hands. "Close your eyes" he whispered again. She closed her eyes. "Imagine yourself in a vast green field" He began, "It has no beginning, it has no end, just field for miles. You lay down in the grass and it's the warmest you've ever been. All your pain melts away. Starting at the top of your head and slowly moving to the tips of your toes. You are completely pain free. Next all of your worries fade away, they slip from your mind all the way down to your toes and exit out the soles of your feet as the gentle sun above warms you" She was asleep again. "You are completely safe in my arms." He whispered before he closed his eyes to sleep. All of his pain and worries had melted away too.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs sanded his boat gently. Working on his boat was the next best thing to working on a woman, or maybe he'd been single too long. Either way it cleared his mind.

He could hear Jethro barking in the backyard, and Tony belting Sinatra as he rinsed the dishes, he actually wasn't too bad. He heard the door slam as Ziva came into the house, leaving Jethro to dig. To him those were the sounds of family. The sounds of safety and security. The sounds that he had missed since Shannon and Kelly had been taken from him.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't see Fornell enter his basement, no gun or badge to catch the light and alert his entry. "You know, Jethro" Fornell began, "I am not your personal errand boy that you can call on a whim." He was wearing a really bad toupee along with an expensive suit, and growing a mustache.

Gibbs couldn't help but laugh. "I'm flattered but you don't have to dress up on my account." It was the kind of joke that they played on each other in their younger years.

"Undercover work, Jethro" Fornell grumbled, "I don't like it either. What is so urgent that I had to come over here ASAP?"

Gibbs tossed him the file on Jackie Peterson-Mayer, formerly known as Reagan Mask. "I wanna know what you have on her." He voiced, "Especially her male contacts." It was the best way to find the second half of Abby's captors, if there even was a second half.

"Do you know how long that will take?" Fornell asked, "Weeks… Months…even years."

"Just do it!" Gibbs barked back. He was tired of Fornell telling him no, tired of everyone telling him no.

"I'll have Sax get right on that" Fornell voiced, dejected.

"No" Gibbs responded, "You do it. I don't want this getting all over the FBI."

Fornell practically cussed Gibbs out but refrained, "I'll see what I can do, Jethro," He voiced, "But no promises."

Then he was gone and Gibbs went back to his boat, as usual.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo dried his hands as he made his way to the front door. The bell had rung and it looked like the UPS guy. No one else was around so it was up to Tony to answer the door.

"Hello" The UPS guy began, "I'm looking for Abby Sciuto."

Tony was a little wary. How many times had terrorists used disguises like UPS guys and mail persons? "She's not here right now," He voiced, the guy didn't seem dangerous, but just in case he was, "I'll sign for it"

"Whatever" The UPS guy handed him the electronic signer and Tony signed, then he traded the UPS guy for the package. The guy looked at the signature, "Thank you Tranny DiNosy."

Tony stopped, there was no way he was a terrorist. "It's Tony DiNozzo" He answered, how could he be called a Tranny, of all people.

"Looks like Tranny to me sir." The UPS guy answered, " Enjoy your package" He laughed, "And have a nice day, Tranny."

"It's Tony!" Tony responded, "And your electronic pen sticks!" He closed the door and began to take the average sized package to Abby and McGee.

That was when the doorbell rang again. "Boss is gonna kill me if this many people keep ringing the bell! Abby will never sleep!" To his surprise it was the UPS guy again.

"Hey Tranny" He began again. "Got another package for you. Bet you love those." he was having too much fun.

"It's Tony" Tony responded, "And just give it to me already."

"That's what she said!" The UPS guy laughed, he was just making it too easy.

Tony received the think manila envelope and looked at it. "What the hell is this?" he asked. There was no return address. The only thing on the envelope was Abby's name.

"Some guy just paid me 20 bucks to bring it to Abby Sciuto." The UPS guy explained, "Said she would know who it was from." Then he left.

Tony figured it must have been one of McGee's tricks to try and cheer Abby up. Though he still didn't trust the mail after the SWAK incident, so he took them both to Gibbs. He would know what to do.

_**Xxx NCIS xxx**_

Special Agent Timothy McGee awoke to a gentle knocking on the bedroom door. He blinked a few times and saw that Abby was waking too. "I'll be right back" he whispered to her before he got up and unlocked the door, and opened it to reveal Gibbs, looking quite serious. "Boss?" McGee asked, still fighting the urge to crawl back to bed and sleep again. "What is it?"

"Wake Abby and get yourselves down to the basement." Gibbs voiced. "Don't come back up until I come and get you." What the hell had happened?

Abby instantly sat up as she heard Gibbs unholster his weapon. Had Dylan finally found her? She looked to Gibbs and McGee and Back.

"Come On Abby" Gibbs continued, "Let's go, and keep your head down." What was going on?

McGee didn't need to be told twice. He went over to Abby and picked her up. Then he took her down to the basement as Gibbs and Tony and Ziva spread out across the grounds.

The UPS truck was still parked in the driveway, but the driver was nowhere to be found. After a quick search of the truck they moved to the surrounding area, within the trees and shrubs.

The silence was unbearable. Especially when McGee had no idea what was going on. He watched as Abby paced, adrenaline coursing through her veins along with several thoughts running through her head.

Could it be Dylan? What if he was just as crazy as she was and killed Tony and Ziva and Gibbs? What if he got to McGee? How would she live with herself? She could only hope that he would kill her too and spare her the pain of living alone for the rest of her life.

McGee knew he had to calm her down, so he stopped her pacing by pulling her into a gentle embrace. He knew she was terrified and so was he but he couldn't let her see that, he had to be strong for her. "No one is going to get you Abs." he voiced, "No one even stands a chance." He knew he was right but all they could do was wait in the darkness of the basement. He hoped he was right.

**Sorry this update took so long. I think I've reached a slump in the narrative and school is tough. Reviews help!**


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